Monday Scholars: The Great American Presidents at the Oliver Wolcott Library

LITCHFIELD, Conn. - June 23, 2016 - PRLog -- Enjoy online learning and engaging discussion at the Oliver Wolcott Library with the Monday Scholars! Monday Scholars combines the best of online learning with face-to-face classroom discussion!

This session's course will be The Great American Presidents and will be taught by Dr. Allan J. Lichtman is Professor of History at American University in Washington, D.C. and earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University. OWL's Book Club Liaison, Cameron Bove, will facilitate a group discussion. Participants only need to come ready to engage their minds and participate in discussion. Over the course of several months, we will examine twelve American Presidents. Come for the entire series or only for sections!

The founders of the American Republic created a new kind of leadership office. It would be a strong and independent president who commanded the armed forces and led the executive branch of government. When the Founding Fathers created it in 1787, the presidency was a radical novelty. That first president would be the first head of state in the world whose authority would rest explicitly on the consent of the governed rather than the prerogatives of birth or conquest. The presidency and its occupants, Professor Lichtman argues, deserve much of the credit for the political stability we have enjoyed for more than 200 years.

We'll explore how well this radical new way of governing has worked by examining the lives, the achievements, and the legacies of those generally considered our 12 greatest presidents.

Professor Lichtman's lectures reveal 12 leaders of widely differing backgrounds. They had varying styles, personalities, and beliefs; came from disparate roots; and embraced different approaches to governing. Each had a powerful vision of America and the American promise.

Each possessed the qualities that all great presidents seem to share: they had an unsinkable ambition, deep affinity with the American people, and a strong inner core of guiding values and principles. While the formal constitutional authority of the president has changed only modestly since 1787, presidential practice, congressional legislation, and judicial interpretations have altered the powers and role of the presidency enormously.

Dr. Allan J. Lichtman is the recipient of the Scholar-Teacher Award from American University. He is the author or coauthor of six books, including The Thirteen Keys to the Presidency and The Keys to the White House.

Light refreshments will follow the event. All Oliver Wolcott Library events are free and open to the public. Space is limited. Registration is required and can be done by calling 860-567-8030 or logging onto www.owlibrary.org and clicking on Programs/Adult Programs.

The Great American Presidents Series Schedule

July 25 - August  22…...George Washington & Thomas Jefferson

August  22 - September 26…...Andrew Jackson &  James Polk

October 3 - October 31…………….Abraham Lincoln & Theodore Roosevelt

November 7 - December 5……..Woodrow Wilson & Franklin Roosevelt

December 12 - January 9……...Harry S. Truman & John F. Kennedy

January 16 - February 6……….Lyndon B. Johnson & Ronald Reagan