Free series organized by the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs in collaboration with the Kean University History Department and the Union County Historical Society
Union County history fans are in for a special treat this fall, as the Union County Board of County Commissioners kicks off a new history lecture series in collaboration with the Kean University Department of History and the Union County Historical Society. The free lectures cover a wide variety of topics beginning with “Liberty Hall, Ancient Rome and The Middle Ages: Perfect Together?” presented by Dr. Christopher Bellitto on Wednesday, September 22, at 7:00 p.m., at the new Liberty Hall Academic Center on the Kean University campus, at 1000 Morris Avenue in Union Township.
“The new lecture series is an exciting opportunity for new audiences to enjoy and appreciate the insights of university-level historians who have been piecing together a rich, complex picture of Union County history,” said Commissioner Board Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “I want to thank the Union County Historical Society and Kean University for working with our Office on Cultural and Heritage Affairs for bringing history to life in our community.”
“Liberty Hall, Ancient Rome and the Middle Ages: Perfect Together? will explore the Liberty Hall archives and early American newspapers to describe how John Kean, the first cashier of the U.S. Bank, and William Livingston, New Jersey’s first governor, turned to a Greco-Roman and medieval past for inspiration.
The lecture will also reveal how revolutionary Americans charting a new nation’s future wrapped themselves in the mantle of an epic past.
Dr. Bellitto is Professor of History at Kean University, and the author of ten books. He has also co-edited six volumes of collected essays.
As a frequent speaker and media commentator on religious history and contemporary Catholicism. Dr. Bellitto has been quoted in The New York Times and The Washington Post, among other publications, and has appeared on numerous television and radio programs.
Dr. Bellitto is a member of the Speakers’ Bureau of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities and the former chair of the History Department at Kean. From 2010 to 2012, he was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities “Enduring Questions” grant.
For more information about the new history lecture series contact John Prescott, History Program Coordinator at the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at (908) 436-2912 or by email jprescott@ucnj.org.
The Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs is a division of the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation. For more information on all programs and activities visit https://ucnj.org/parks-recreation/cultural-heritage-affairs/.
For a campus map and more information about Kean University, including COVID-19 safety protocols, visit https://www.kean.edu/.
For more information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including the Drive-Through Test Center at Kean University and the Mobile Test Unit walk-up sites, visit ucnj.org/covid19. General information about COVID-19 and updates on statewide vaccine planning are available through the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.
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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.
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