Library's 'American Presidency' lecture series

KENT — Just in time for the new presidential administration, the Kent Memorial Library has scheduled a series of four lectures on “The American Presidency.�

The lectures will include speakers familiar with the struggles and successes of the Oval Office: author Edmund Morris, historian and writer Douglas Brinkley and photojournalist Pete Souza.

“We felt that, because of a change of presidential administrations, that it would be important for discussions on the office of the presidency,� library board President Ken Cooper said. “These lectures will be a way to compare the issues at hand and how other administrations dealt with them. I think that, through these lectures, people will obtain a deeper respect for the institution of the American presidency.�

Morris, a local resident, is the author of “The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt,â€� which won the  Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award in 1980; and “Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reaganâ€� published in 1999.

“I think we are fortunate in Litchfield Country to have Edmund Morris live here,� Cooper said. “He is one of the great presidential biographers. His book on Roosevelt inspired a whole new generation of biographers.�

Brinkley, who serves as a professor at Rice University, wrote “The Unfinished Presidency: Jimmy Carter’s Journey Beyond the White House� in 1999 and “Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War� in 2004. He is also a frequent contributor to Vanity Fair magazine and a commentator on CBS News.

“He has a great perspective on presidencies,â€� Cooper said. “He is also a very well-respected historian. His next book is “The Wilderness Warrior,â€� which is a biography of  Theodore Roosevelt and will come out in April.â€�

Souza was the official White House staff photographer for the Reagan administration. His photos were chronicled in the book “Images of Greatness.� His book, “The Rise of Barack Obama,� recently appeared on The New York Times bestseller list.

“He was at the other side of the lens at a lot of historic events,� Cooper said. “He was right at the front lawn of the White House when Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton walked outside after the Monica Lewinsky affair was revealed. He was also there when Ronald Reagan was meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev. He was definitely a fly on the wall for these historic events.�

The dates of the lectures are May 3, May 31, June 7 and June 28. The times have not yet been scheduled. Reservations will not be taken from the public until March 16. The event is free and open to everyone but reservations are required.

For more information call Leslie Lillien Levy at Kent Memorial Library at 860-927-3761.