SPEAKER SERIES

Exploring the Declaration of Independence at 250

While Utahns and Americans live across various geographies, cultures, and circumstances, we share a narrative and a commitment to make progress toward a “more perfect union.” By exploring shared themes of America’s world-changing propositions of liberty, freedom, cooperation, and innovation we can build bridges among people of different backgrounds and political beliefs.

Upcoming Events

Previous Speakers

Upcoming Speaking Events

The following distinguished historians, influencers, and innovators are presented in partnership with Utah’s institutions of higher education and will be streamed via PBS Utah.

Joan Mulholland - Oct. 9, 2025

Iconic American Civil Rights Leader on Lessons in Courage and Conviction

Joan and Loki Mullholland

Oct. 9, 2025 at 11:30 AM | Gilbert Great Hall (SUU)

Her Freedom Rider mugshot has been called one of the most iconic in American history. By the time she was 23 years old, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland participated in over 50 sit-ins and demonstrations including the Freedom Rides, the Jackson Woolworth’s Sit-in, the March on Washington, the Meredith March and the Selma to Montgomery March. Her path has crossed with some of the biggest names in the Civil Rights Movement: Martin Luther King, Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, John Lewis, Diane Nash and Julian Bond to name a few. Joan, along with her Emmy-winning son Loki share valuable lessons from the past to inform and energize the present.

https://joantrumpauermulholland.org/about-us/

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Greg Jackson - Nov. 4, 2025

PBU Utah presents: Ken Burns' The American Revolution

Greg Jackson

Nov. 4, 2025 from 6-8 PM | Utah Cultural Celebration Center - 1355 W 3100 S, West Valley City, Utah

Be among the first to see exclusive clips from Ken Burns' The American Revolution before it airs to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country! Moderated by the professor behind the hit podcast 'History That Doesn't Suck' Dr. Greg Jackson, join us for great food, hands on activities, and a powerful look at the people and moments that shaped America.

https://www.htdspodcast.com/

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Chad Ford - Nov. 13, 2025

Dr. Eric G. Swedin - Nov. 17, 2025

Dr. Josh Klein - Dec. 10, 2025

Christmas 1941: Churchill in Washington

Dr. Josh Klein - Assistant Professor of History SUU

Dec. 10, 2025 at 7 PM | Room - Bristlecone Hall 105 (SUU)

In December 1941, the beleaguered but resilient British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, travelled to Washington to commemorate the new wartime alliance with the United States. He was welcomed graciously by U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, who was well aware of risk Churchill had taken by crossing the Atlantic.

Desperate to provide their people with hope at one of the darkest moments in human history, the two leaders addressed an assembled crowd of 20,000 Americans, and millions more by radio. In an act of symbolic defiance, Roosevelt set alight the National Community Christmas Tree. This solemn moment from history's darkest Christmas powerfully illustrates America's commitment to global freedom, a value first articulated by Thomas Jefferson 165 years earlier when he proclaimed that "all men are created equal."

Rob Bishop - Jan. 18, 2026

Founding America: The Declaration of Independence

Rob Bishop

Jan. 8, 2025 at 7 PM | USU Brigham City Auditorium (989 South Main Street, Brigham City, UT.) The lecture can also be viewed online via Zoom at aggie.link/BC_Zoom.

Rob Bishop dives into the pivotal years between the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, exploring the social and political forces that shaped America’s founding documents.

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Dr. Vikki J. Deakin - Feb. 9, 2026

Tameron Williams - Feb. 12, 2026

Guest Speakers - March 12, 2026

America in Conflict - The Borgstrom Brothers Story

Deborah Borgstrom Long, Lyle Holmgren, & John Maclelain

March 12, 2025 at 7 PM | USU Brigham City Auditorium (989 South Main Street, Brigham City, UT.) The lecture can also be viewed online via Zoom at aggie.link/BC_Zoom.

The Borgstrom family lost four sons during WWII, an ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom. This powerful lecture reflects on the human cost of war.

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Charlotte Hansen Terry - March 17, 2026

As part of Utah State University Uintah Basin’s commitment to community engagement through our land-grant mission, the USU Uintah Basin Speaker Series brings meaningful conversations and thought leadership to our region. We are proud to collaborate with America250 Utah for this special event, featuring Charlotte Hansen Terry, Assistant Professor of History at USU Uintah Basin.

March 17, 2026 at 7pm | USU Uintah Basin, Vernal Campus, Large Conference Room (B101)

Charlotte Hansen Terry is an Assistant Professor of History at Utah State University - Uintah Basin campus. Her research focuses on the varied connections between the North American West and Pacific, including the movement of people and ideas and the relationships between religions, empires, and nations in the region. Her current project traces white and Pacific Islander Mormon attempts to define and expand racial, religious, familial, and national belonging in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. She is originally from Utah, and is excited to live closer to the Uintah mountains where she has hiked since childhood.

Donny Constantineau - April 9, 2026

Civil Rights in America

Donny Constantineau

April 9, 2025 at 7 PM | USU Brigham City Auditorium (989 South Main Street, Brigham City, UT.) The lecture can also be viewed online via Zoom at aggie.link/BC_Zoom.

Few movements define America like the fight for civil rights. This lecture explores how grassroots voices have shaped policy and pushed the nation toward greater equity and justice.

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