Historical Horizons Lecture Series

Press Release:

The Genesee Community College History Club will once again be hosting the Historical Horizons Lecture Series with a full line up for Fall 2024. For those who may be unfamiliar with the lecture series, these are talks on a variety of topics of historical interest, open to both the campus community and the public every first Wednesday during the semester. 

Lectures will be held at 7 p.m. in T102 on GCC's Batavia Campus and will also be available to join via Zoom. All talks will be followed by a Q&A session with the speakers.

Here is the Fall 2024 Historical Horizons line up:

September 4 - "Hush the Cannon's Roar: The Life and Times of Bennet Riley: Defender of Buffalo"
A Book Talk by local author Tom Schobert.

General Bennet Riley was a Mexican War hero who made his home in Buffalo, NY and is buried there in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Crafting a narrative based heavily on archival research, Schobert's novel traces Bennet Riley's legacy through his forty-year military career, his relationships with his wife and family, and his impact on Buffalo history. 

For Schobert, himself a long-time historical impressionist in the Buffalo area who has portrayed numerous presidents, Mexican and Civil War generals, and other significant figures, the process of putting together this novel is as fascinating a story as the novel itself!

October 2 - "The Promise of Democracy: The Struggle for Voting Rights in America" by GCC Political Science Professor Charles Scruggs.

This talk will provide an overview of the "battle for the ballot" --a profoundly animating force in the course of American history. Particular attention will be paid to the Civil Rights Act of 1965 and the voter suppression strategies which followed suit. Students are highly encouraged to attend! 

November 6 - "Historic Chronicles of Genesee County" A Book Talk by Genesee County Historian Michael Eula.

Genesee County has seen trials, tribulations and triumphs throughout its storied history as national events have been brought to its doorstep. Cold War anxiety was on full display in the preparedness drills of the 1950s and the effect those had on Batavia's students. 

Too often overlooked, the scourge of racism has reared its ugly head in the region, as the Ku Klux Klan once had a presence in the county. Locals were rocked by the assassinations of MLK and John F. Kennedy in the 1960s. Genesee County women, from activists to farmers, have left an indelible mark on the county's past. Join author and historian Michael Eula as he reveals the historic chronicles of Genesee County.

December 4 - "Historical Portrayals as Community Engagement" A Panel Discussion with historical impressionists Tom Schobert, Melinda Grube and GCC Instructor Dan Snyder, as well as representatives from our local chapter of the LARP group Combat Historia.

History is rich with the stories of those who inspire us in the present. From conjuring the impression of a particular historical figure to using historical research to inform a character, many communities use history to engage the community and bring attention to how the public can get involved in learning about, preserving, and enjoying history at the local level. Moderated by historians Derek and Jess Maxfield, this panel discussion will explore how those who engage the community using history as inspiration develop their characters and use historical research as inspiration for their portrayals.

Genesee Community College invites the public to join them for these enlightening lectures, providing a unique opportunity to engage with historical topics and esteemed scholars. Mark your calendars for an enriching experience at the Historical Horizons Lecture Series this Fall.

For more information, please contact the Office of Student Engagement and Inclusion at sei@genesee.edu.

Submitted photos courtesy of Genesee Community College.

Press Release:

The Historical Horizons Lecture Series is set to make a return in Spring 2024, presenting a captivating lineup of four Wednesday lectures at Genesee Community College, sponsored by the GCC History Club.

The lectures, scheduled to take place at GCC's Batavia Campus in the Conable Technology Building, Room T102 at 7 p.m., promise to offer a diverse range of topics that appeal to both history enthusiasts and the general public. All lectures are free of charge, underlining Genesee Community College's commitment to providing accessible educational opportunities to the community.

The series kicks off on Feb. 7 with a lecture titled "'Opera Was Not Written for New York Alone': Circuit Chautauqua, English-Language Opera, and the Making of an American Middle, ca. 1910-1930." Renowned scholar Cory A. Norling, PhD Musicology, will delve into the rich history of the Chautauqua Movement and its impact on the American Midwest, exploring the role of staged opera as a cultural bridge.

Following this, on March 6, historian Jess Maxfield will present "The Cautionary Tale of Encephalitis Lethargica: Epidemic Disease and Historical Memory." Maxfield will shed light on the encephalitis lethargica epidemic of the early 20th century, drawing parallels with the ongoing conversations surrounding global pandemics.

April 3 brings us to "The Worst of the Worst: The Story of the Confederate POW Camp at Belle Isle in Richmond During the Civil War" by Associate Professor of History, Derek Maxfield. The lecture promises a compelling exploration of the Belle Isle camp, challenging popular perceptions about Civil War prisoner-of-war camps.

The series concludes on May 1 with a book talk by Civil War Historian Victor Vignola titled "Contrasts in Command: The Battle of Fair Oaks, May 31-June 1, 1862." Vignola's award-winning work on the Battle of Fair Oaks offers a fresh perspective on this pivotal moment in Civil War history.

Genesee Community College invites the public to join them for these enlightening lectures, providing a unique opportunity to engage with historical topics and esteemed scholars. Mark your calendars for an enriching experience at the Historical Horizons Lecture Series this spring.

For more information, please contact the Office of Student Engagement and Inclusion at sei@genesee.edu.

The Genesee Community College History Club is excited to invite the public to the first Spring 2019 Historical Horizons Lecture Series event on Wednesday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. to hear Rozenn Bailleul-LeSuer, Ph.D., discuss the "Winged Jewels of the Nile."

Birds and bird imagery filled the world of the ancient Egyptians. Every fall, the arrival of millions of waterfowl in the delta marshes coincided with the Nile flood.

The Egyptians saw in these natural and cyclical events a symbolic reenactment of the moment of creation when, according to some versions of the myth, a divine goose laid an egg on the first mound emerging from the water. From this egg hatched the sun god, who flew high in the sky and created the other gods and humanity.

In addition to presenting how birds, from cradle to coffin, permeated most aspects of Egyptian society, Bailleul-LeSuer will discuss the work she has conducted and is pursuing on a selection of bird mummies held in museum collections.

Using medical imaging and scientific analyses to complement findings from ancient texts and artifacts, her research aims at shedding some additional light on the phenomenon of Sacred Bird Cults, in which these mummies played a significant role. With her expertise in this unique field of study, Bailleul-LeSuer has edited the book, "Between Heaven and Earth, Birds in Ancient Egypt," which was published by the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago in 2012.

The lecture begins at 7 p.m. in room T102 of the Conable Technology Building, is free and open to the public. The other upcoming Historical Horizons Lectures scheduled on the first Wednesday of each month during the Spring 2019 Semester include:

• Wednesday, March 6: " 'Race' and the Dilemma of the New England Puritan: Intersections of Ideas and Identities" presented by Richard Bailey, Ph.D., associate professor of History at Canisius College and author of "Race and Redemption in Puritan New England" (Oxford 2014);
• Wednesday, April 3: "The Shadow of Slavery: Black Women and Political Mobilization during Reconstruction" presented by Justin Behrend, Ph.D., associate professor of History, SUNY Geneseo and author of "Reconstructing Democracy: Grassroots Black Politics in the Deep South after the Civil War" (University of Georgia Press, 2015.);
• Wednesday, May 1: "Military Campaigns of 1755 -- French and Indian War" presented by William Griffith, associate at the Gettysburg Foundation.