Instructor: Francis Gary Powers Jr.

Biography: Born June 5, 1965, in Burbank, California, he is the son of Francis Gary and Claudia "Sue" Powers. He is the Founder and Chairman Emeritus of The Cold War Museum, a 501(c) (3) charity located at Vint Hill, VA 45 minutes west of Washington, DC. Gary founded the museum in 1996 to honor Cold War veterans, preserve Cold War history, and educate future generations about this time period. As Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Cold War Theme Study he worked with the National Park Service and leading Cold War experts to identify historic Cold War sites for commemorating, interpreting, and preservation. In 2015, he consulted for a Steven Spielberg Cold War thriller, Bridge of Spies, about James Donovan who brokered the 1962 spy exchange between KGB spy Rudolph Abel and CIA U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers, Sr.In the mid 1990s, as President of the Downtown Fairfax Coalition, Gary founded the City of Fairfax Saturday Morning Community Farmers Market, established the Chocolate Challenge for the Chocolate Lover's Festival, and represented Old Town Fairfax merchants and businesses. As CEO of the Vienna Regional Chamber of Commerce between 2000-2005, he led the successful transition from the Vienna Chamber to the Vienna Tysons Regional Chamber which is now the Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce.Gary is the author of Letters from a Soviet Prison (2017), Spy Pilot (2019), and Enemy Territory (2022) which help to dispel the misinformation surrounding the U-2 Incident. He is a past Board Member of the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum near Omaha, NE and an Honorary Board Member of the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. Because of his efforts to honor Cold War veterans the Junior Chamber of Commerce selected him as one of the "Ten Outstanding Young Americans" for 2002. Gary holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from California State University, Los Angeles, a Master's Degrees in Public Administration (Certification in Non-profit Management) from George Mason University (GMU), Fairfax, VA, and a Master's Degree in U.S. History from Adams State University, Alamosa, CO. Gary lectures internationally and appears regularly on C-SPAN, the History, and Discovery Channels. He is married and has one son.

Classes by this instructor

Cold War Virginia

Virginia played a central role during the Cold War. With doomsday planning operations underway for World War III, the location of the Pentagon, CIA, and other federal agencies established Northern Virginia as an epicenter of decision-making. As Virginia military bases readied for a potential surprise attack by the Soviet Union, local research facilities played a paramount role in the Space Race. These developments and tales of espionage, heroism, and betrayal will be discussed.
Monday, October 20, 2025, TBD - UR Campus