This VMHC exhibition explores the history and legacy of one of the most transformative educational initiatives in American history forged by Booker T. Washington, a Black educator, and Julius Rosenwald, a Jewish businessman and philanthropist. Between 1912 and 1937, their program provided seed money to build thousands of schools for Black children across the segregated South. Fees are non-refundable unless we are able to fill the slot. Offered twice; please register for only one. This is a tour that will likely require long periods of standing. We cannot guarantee there will be seats available.

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Friday, Nov. 8, Virginia Museum of History and Culture ( No seats currently available )
Friday, Nov. 15, Virginia Museum of History and Culture ( No seats currently available )

This is the second half of a two-semester course surveying the history of the US Air Force from the earliest beginnings of flight through the end of the Cold War and into the first Persian Gulf War. The course progresses chronologically and includes an overview of evolving technological aviation advancements, organizational changes, aircraft roles and missions, major air-related military operations, and famous personalities associated with Air Force history. Part 1 is not required.

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Wednesdays; Oct 16, 23, 30, Nov 6, 13, GOTW, Auditorium Room A001

Study the architectural design of the great houses on 5th Avenue in New York City and their summer 'cottages' in Newport, RI, which were built in The Gilded Age. Learn about the architects hired, what the design of the great edifices and opulent interiors were trying to achieve, and on what architectural precedents they were based.

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Mondays, Nov 18 and 25, TBD - UR Campus ( No seats currently available )

The age of Battleships spanned less than 80 years and for much of that period they were either not ready for prime time or well past their prime. This course follows the Battleship from the first ironclads to the giants of World War II, including the development of steam engines, the shift from pistons and coal to turbines and oil, the early triumphs and disasters of fleets, and the far-flung engagements of the great Dreadnoughts.

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Wednesdays, Nov 20 (skip Nov 27), Dec 4, 11, 18, Synchronous Online

This class will take you on a musical tour of the history of the cello, featuring both lecture and musical examples played live. We will begin with a brief history of bowed string instruments, we'll toss in a little non-classical music, and end with a few holiday favorites in the Christian and Jewish traditions.

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Mon, Dec 16, TBD - UR Campus ( No seats currently available )

With shrinking state and local news outlets, it is now harder than ever to find out what your state lawmakers are up to in Richmond. This nonpartisan course teaches students about the Virginia legislative process and how to search for and track bills that are of interest to you. Participants will also learn how to connect financial contributions to candidates and elected officials, and how to use open government laws to keep everyone accountable.

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Wednesdays; Oct 30, Nov 6, 13, TBD - UR Campus

This course will use a cognitive model to exam the decision styles of principal commanders of armies in the eastern theater of the Civil War. This includes optimism and confirmation bias, too high or too low a degree of fight in their amygdalae, and high reliance on Type I thinking.

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Fridays; Nov 8 and 15, TBD - UR Campus ( No seats currently available )

Join your fellow Osher members as we remember all who have served in our armed forces over the years. Osher member/instructor and Vietnam veteran Steve Anders will be our keynote speaker.

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Monday, Nov. 11, JAC, Robins Pavilion 151

Please join Bill Leighty, Chief of Staff to two former Virginia Governors, as he leads a panel discussion with seasoned political analysts and commentators of the November 2024 elections: both the 'what' and the 'why.' Inexorably, this discussion will lead to questions about the implications for Virginia's next statewide election cycle in 2025.

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Thursday, Nov 21, JAC, Robins Pavilion 151 (18 seats (10%) remaining)

This class reviews the life, journey, and journal of Eliza House Trist, who traveled west two decades before Lewis and Clark and kept a journal for Thomas Jefferson.

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Thursday, Dec 5, TBD - UR Campus ( No seats currently available )

Let's talk about planning for the future. How can you ensure that your preferences and directives for your financial assets are carried out correctly? We'll discuss the legal options available to assist in making the best decisions. Elder Law will also be discussed. Questions are welcome!

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Tuesday, Dec 3, TBD - UR Campus

We will explore the history of Chinese Tea including The Tea Horse Road, which is called The Forgotten Road. Learn about the plant itself, where it grows, and how it is harvested. We will also examine the differences between the major groups of Chinese teas. The last 2 sessions (divided into 12 students each week) will be a tea tasting at the instructor's home where tea storage and brewing will be explained.

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Tuesdays; Oct 22, 29, Nov 5, 12, Special Programs Building, Classroom 156 ( No seats currently available )

In 1962, Rachel Carson published 'Silent Spring,' alerting the public to the dangers of radiation and pesticides. In response, manufacturers and government officials attacked her work. Carson, struggling with her health, managed to rally support among the public and in the Kennedy White House. This course will focus on Rachel Carson's world, a time of nuclear threats amid Cold War tensions, a rush toward global industrial agriculture, and the beginnings of ecology.

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Fridays; Oct 25, Nov 1, 8, 15, TBD - UR Campus ( No seats currently available )

The United States often fights wars, directly or indirectly, around the world. Are there rules to war? Should there be? Which causes or goals justify going to war, and which ones do not? What ways of waging war are justified, and what ways are not? Is there such a thing as war crimes? If so, how should they be tried and punished? Do rules for war work?

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Tuesdays, Nov 19, 26, Dec 3, TBD - UR Campus (1 seats (2%) remaining)

Margaritaville, Hemingway, pirates, ghosts, Bone Island, Harry Truman, Conch Republic, hurricanes, festivals, Sloppy Joe's Bar, Key Lime Pie, marijuana, watersports, sunset celebrations, Duval Crawl, Flagler's Folly, Mile Post Zero, Southernmost Point, a State of mind. . . . Let's talk about it all!

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Monday, Nov. 4, BUS, Ukrop Auditorium Q162

Beginning with the Revolutionary War Battle of Petersburg (April 25, 1781), events led inexorably to the denouement at Yorktown. When Cornwallis arrived in Petersburg on May 20, he developed an aggressive strategy to move north and engage Lafayette who had arrived in Richmond three weeks earlier. The two adversaries began a cat (Cornwallis with 7,000 troops) and mouse (Lafayette with 3,000) game that lasted over a month and stretched across 200 miles through central Virginia.

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Tues, Dec 17, TBD - UR Campus ( No seats currently available )

What is the effect on people when their right to live is taken away by their government? 'The Holocaust was a systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by the Nazi regime and collaborators' (USHMM). How did the unthinkable become reality through government and law?

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No session is currently available for registration

Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

The course will focus on seeking to understand the major issues surrounding the 2024 presidential election, identifying credible sources of information, and guiding attendees through a search for common ground on those issues. Note: The last class on Nov 7 will be at Independence Golf Course 2-5pm.

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No session is currently available for registration

Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Free and fair elections, desegregated schools, fair labor practices, the line-item veto, acid rain, abortion, the death penalty: these are only some of the significant political, social, moral, and scientific issues that the Supreme Court has helped to shape. This class covers the basics of Supreme Court procedure, recent cases, and the role the Court plays in our system of government to help participants make sense of the institution.

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Mondays; Oct 28, Nov 4, BUS, Ukrop Auditorium Q162 ( No seats currently available )

This course presents case studies in the history of architecture, civil and structural engineering, and industrial design. Specific design and building types will be discussed, and the course will examine instances where architecture, design, and engineering are impacted by technological advances catalyzed by rivalry and conflict - military, political, or economic/commercial - and overall motivations related to wealth and power as much as to design, scientific, or engineering advances.

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No session is currently available for registration

Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Join us as we explore Richmond's origin stories in The Valentine Museum's Court End Neighborhood. One of the oldest neighborhoods in Richmond, Court End grew into an affluent area in close proximity to the newly-established Virginia State Capitol during the early 19th Century. On this walking tour, you'll discover stories of early Richmonders and surviving architectural gems nestled in the ever-evolving center of the city. This is a 90-minute walking tour, with some standing required. Fees are non-refundable unless we are able to fill the slot.

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Friday, Nov. 1, Valentine Museum ( No seats currently available )

The '24 Election is here! Let us review POTUS approval history 1945-2020, explore how better voter polls are done, discuss pundits, define generations, and review current polls, then conduct some in-class polls. Next, we'll try a Corporate Assessment Model, a business tool to rank the issues and the candidates. Finally, we'll make a class electoral vote prediction. A cellphone and some familiarity with QR codes is helpful, but not required. This is a non-partisan discussion!

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No session is currently available for registration

Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Before the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, General George Patton proclaimed, 'Everyone in this army must understand: it's root hog or die!' This idiomatic expression means, 'We are on our own!' For Patton, the battle was a potential 'last stand' that, if lost, might have prolonged the war. History has other 'last stands.' We will examine four of them and identify their contexts, importance, and legacies.

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No session is currently available for registration

Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Stepwells are structures unique to India, built at least as early as 600 CE. They are magnificent feats of architectural and engineering ingenuity found most commonly across Northern India. These huge architectural gems, built deep into the Earth like inverted fortresses, are examples of art and unique water conservation techniques practiced in ancient India. There are more than 3,000 such structures scattered in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Pakistan.

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Monday, Oct. 14, BUS, Room 114 (3 seats (9%) remaining)

Come learn about the history of Polynesian settlement, where the moai (heads) on Rapa Nui came from, what became of the Bounty mutineers, the crisis of ocean plastics, and what has decimated the birds of the Pacific Islands. Decide for yourself the fate of Michael Rockefeller. These and many other fascinating facts, and beautiful scenes of the Pacific Islands, will be shared as we sail across many thousands of miles of the South Pacific.

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Tues, Dec 17, TBD - UR Campus ( No seats currently available )

Last spring, we introduced the art of the Vietnam war, focusing on portraits and landscapes. In this session, we continue to view Vietnam soldier art, exploring more themes reflected in their works. Join us as we analyze and discuss how wartime artists serving on the frontlines applied their artistic talents to express what they experienced in real-time from their own unique perspectives.

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Wednesday, Dec 11, Synchronous Online

This is now a little-known incident from a decade before the Civil War began, but it intensified disagreements between the North and South that led to war. This fugitive slave case also influenced events at the war's end. A Maryland man was killed while trying to retrieve four enslaved men who escaped from his farm. Thirty-eight men were charged with a total of 117 counts of treason because of the incident.

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Friday, Oct. 18, BUS, Ukrop Auditorium Q162

We will examine the Anti-Semitic formula that started in the beginning of the 20th Century and continues to this day. We will consider some exhibits of the 'protocols' and explain the history of how Russian authorities created and used it. We will then examine how the 'protocols' were imported to the United States and elsewhere around the world. We will examine how this conspiracy theory continues to create and spread hatred.

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Monday, Nov 18 and 25, TBD - UR Campus ( No seats currently available )

Songwriters serve as historians and preservers of oral tradition in our culture. Songs reflect and influence what humans consider important: ideas, feelings, and stories. Women songwriters and singers greatly reflect and influence the culture. Linda will share songs by brilliant women songwriters (Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Iris Dement, Mary Gautier, Alice Randall) and discuss their relevant lyrics.

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Wednesdays, Dec 11 and 18, Synchronous Online

The upcoming presidential election will again be resolved by a peculiar institution: the electoral college. In this course we will go back to the Constitutional Convention and see why the Framers choose this methodology. We will also examine the evolution and operation of this system. We will then evaluate the pros and cons of this admittedly complicated process, and we will conclude by discussing alternatives to this system.

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Mondays; Oct 14, 21, BUS, Ukrop Auditorium Q162 (21 seats (17%) remaining)

FIELD TRIP This exhibition features artwork and artifacts that portray the spirit of Virginia: its past, its present, its landscape, and its people. The Art Experience at the Executive Mansion highlights works from a mix of genres and mediums with particular focus on Virginia artists and themes. It is a living display which will evolve and change over time as additional works of art become available and as different parts of the Virginia story become the focus. NOTE: This is a tour that will likely require long periods of standing. We cannot guarantee there will be seats available.

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Monday, Dec 9, Virginia Executive Mansion ( No seats currently available )

The American Civil War Museum's 'The Impending Crisis' is the first exhibit in a multi-year initiative, 'Civil War and Remaking America,' covering the causes, course, and consequences of the Civil War. Through a guided tour, we will look at how the issue of slavery divided Americans -- Black and White, enslaved and free -- and motivated them to take up arms against each other. Offered twice on the same day; please register for only one. Fees are non-refundable unless we are able to fill the slot. NOTE: This is a tour that will likely require long periods of standing. We cannot guarantee there will be seats available.

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Friday, Nov 22, American Civil War Museum: Tredegar Iron Works ( No seats currently available )
Friday, Nov 22, American Civil War Museum: Tredegar Iron Works (5 seats (25%) remaining)

This seminar will examine the sources of Russian conduct in the current era (updating George Kennan's famous phrase) with particular reference to the war in Ukraine as well as the calculus of decision of both the U.S. and Russia as the two countries respectively struggle for power and influence in the new world disorder. Selected readings will be assigned in class.

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Mondays; Oct 21, 28, Nov 4, 11, JPSN, Room 118 (5 seats (9%) remaining)

Enjoy a guided tour of the Wickham House, a National Historic Landmark built between 1812-1815. This tour challenges guests to explore aspects of life in the early 19th Century. The Wickham House was purchased by Mann S. Valentine II and in 1898 became the first home of the Valentine Museum. Come enjoy the recently reopened second floor, which focuses on the underrepresented stories within this historic home. Fees are non-refundable unless we are able to fill the slot.

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No session is currently available for registration

Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

This lecture will focus on the career of Federal Judge Theodore Roosevelt Dalton (1901-1989) and Governor John Dalton (1931-1986), two individuals who, as father and son, had an impact on Virginia and the Republican party in the years between 1936 and 1986.

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Monday, Dec 2, JPSN, Room 118

Christmas today is far removed from what it was in the mid-19th Century, yet it was during that period that many of our present-day traditions developed. Discover the origin of some of the most beloved elements of Christmas and hear accounts of Civil War Christmases.

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Wednesday, Dec 4, Synchronous Online (5 seats (5%) remaining)

Scotchtown is the only original standing home of Patrick Henry, known as the 'orator of the American Revolution,' that is open to the public. Henry lived here from 1771 to 1778 and conceived his most influential revolutionary ideas at the home, including his famous 'Liberty or Death' speech. Fees are non-refundable unless we are able to fill the slot. Offered twice; please register for only one. NOTE: This is a walking tour that will likely require long periods of standing. We cannot guarantee there will be seats available.

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Friday, Dec 13, Patrick Henry's Scotchtown ( No seats currently available )
Friday, Dec 13, Patrick Henry's Scotchtown ( No seats currently available )