The John O'Sullivan Memorial Lecture Series

The Mission Of The John O'Sullivan Memorial Lectureship

To provide students, secondary shool teachers, faculty and public guests with exposure to a distinguished historian of 20th-century American History whose lectureship/presentation broadens and deepens our understanding of the major thematic and conceptual aspects of America's modern history.

Tickets

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Supporting The Lecture

This lecture series is generously supported by donations from members of the community. If you wish to make a contribution, please contact the chair of the History Department at  history@fau.edu  or 561.297.3840.

John O'Sullivan

John O'Sullivan Memorial Lecture

In the spring of 2004, as a tribute to the late John O’Sullivan—professor of history who died in 2000, a group of senior citizen students at Florida Atlantic University initiated a memorial in his honor. Dr. O'Sullivan was the former chair of the History Department and had devoted his entire academic career to FAU. Thanks to the collective efforts of these students, a Memorial Fund was established that supports an annual lecture in Professor O’Sullivan’s memory.

The John O’Sullivan Memorial Lectureship Fund allows the Department of History to host a distinguished scholar in 20th Century American History to lecture to students, secondary school teachers, faculty and the public each fall semester. The lectures focus on topics relevant to Dr. O’Sullivan’s specialties, which include: World War II, Vietnam War, Nuclear Age, Peace, the Holocaust, Peace History, Oral History and Modern American Political and Diplomatic Affairs.

Mission of the Lectureship The mission of the John O’Sullivan Memorial Lectureship is to provide students, secondary school teachers, faculty, and public guests with exposure to a distinguished historian of 20th Century American history, whose lecture/presentation broadens and deepens our understanding of the major thematic and conceptual aspects of America’s modern history. Each year the department makes these lectures available on our website at: www.fau.edu/about/history. Information about the selection of the Distinguished Lecturer, the topic of the presentation, time and location of the presentation will be posted on the website.

About John O’Sullivan

John O’Sullivan received his Ph.D. in 1970 from Columbia University and came to Florida Atlantic University in 1971. John was a gifted teacher, scholar and colleague. Following his arrival at Florida Atlantic University, John received numerous research fellowships including ones from The American Philosophical Society, the American Historical Association, and the Sloan Foundation. His publications included From Volunteerism to Conscription: Congress and the Selective Service, 1940-1945 (1982), The Draft and Its Enemies (1974), American Economic History (1989) and We Have Just Begun Not to Fight: An Oral History of Conscientious Objectors in Civilian Public Service During World War II (co-authored with Heather Frazer, 1996). Before his death in 2000, John was working on a book project related to Medal of Honor recipients and another book project with Dr. Patricia Kollander, also an FAU faculty member and interim chair in the History Department, on a World War II veteran.

If you wish to make a contribution to the John O’Sullivan Memorial Lectureship Fund, please contact the chair of the History Department at  history@fau.edu  or 561-297-3840.

Past Lectures

2026:  Lindsay M. Chervinsky, "Inheriting the Revolution:  The Modern Legacy of 1776"

2024:  Julian E. Zelizer, "The 2024 Election in Historical Perspective"

2023:  Alexander Keyssar, "The Right to Vote:  The Contested History of Democracy in the United States"

2022:  Summer of Soul, 1969:  A Retrospective, featuring a screening of the Academy Award Winning Film
           "Summer of Soul" and Live Concert by FAU's Commercial Music Program and Music Faculty

2020: Andra Gillespie, "Race and Politics:  The Crossroads of Modern American Political Culture"

2019: Remembering the 1960s and Woodstock, Narrated by Dr. Kelly Shannon and featuring Commerical Music Musicians and Singers 

2018:  Lein-Hang T. Nguyen, "Toward a New History of the TET Offensive:  Spies, Allies and Murder in Hanoi"

2017: William H. Chafe,  "The Modern Presidency from Kennedy to Trump:  Intersections of Politics and Personality"

2016: Ambassador Robert "Skipp" Orr "The Evolution of a U.S. Ambassador: Policy and Perspective in a Global Age"

2015: Allida M. Black: "Eleanor Roosevelt and the Battle for Human Rights: 1945 to the Present"

2014: Christopher R. Browning: "Hitler and the Decisions for the Final Solution"

2013: Jeffrey Morton: "The Role of Diplomacy in 20th Century American Foreign Policy"

2012:  Lizabeth Cohen "Consuming Our Way to Recovery"

2011: Jacob Hamblin:  "The Nuclear Promise: Global Consequences of an American Dream"

2010: Robert Goldberg:  "Enemies Within: The Conspiracy Culture of Modern America

2009: Thomas W. Zeiler:  "The Greatest Generation in A Good War?: A New Look at Wartime America

2008: Wilson D. Miscamble:  "Harry S. Truman, The Bomb, and the Transformation of the U.S. Foreign Policy"
Watch on C-Span!

2007: Nancy F. Cott: "Revisiting the Jazz Age"
(Printed copies available by request.)

2006: Glenda Gilmore: "The Nazis and Dixie: African Americans, Jewish Americans, and Fascism, 1933-1939"
(Printed copies available by request.)

2005: David Goldfield: "Religion and Politics: An American Tradition"
(Printed copies available by request.)

2004: Timothy Naftali:  "Blind Spot: Secret History of U.S. Counterterrorism"

Contact Information

For more information, direct your inquiries to 561-297-3840 or send an email to:   history@fau.edu 

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