Education

From the leadership on the battlefield to the role of the press during the war, lectures this week will educate and inspire thinking about the many facets and outcomes related to World War II.

DR. CRAIG L. SYMONDS | Professor Emeritus of History at the United States Naval Academy

10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Monday, June 27, Orchestra Hall | “The “Turkey Shoot” in the Philippine Sea”
10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Tuesday, June 28, Orchestra Hall | “Bull’s Run” at Leyte Gulf 

Monday’s presentation will reflect on the different leadership styles and the critical role of temperament in this battle in the Philippine Sea that was directed by Raymond Spruance, a quiet, thoughtful, and deliberate commander.

Tuesday’s presentation examines the “Bull’s Run” battle that occurred at Leyte Gulf, which was directed by William F. “Bull” Halsey. Halsey had a unique command personality which impacted the role of command and temperament in war. His style will be compared with that of Raymond Spruance who led the “Turkey Shoot” in the Philippines.

Dr. Craig L. Symonds is Professor Emeritus of history at the United States Naval Academy. During a 30-year teaching career there, he was the first person to win both the Academy’s “Excellence in Teaching” Award (1988) and its “Excellence in Research” Award (1998).

In 1994-1995, he was Professor of Strategy at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, England. From 2017-2020 he was The Ernest J. King Distinguished Professor of Maritime History at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, for which he received his fourth Superior Civilian Service Medal (2020).

Symonds is the author of 16 books. His book World War II at Sea: A Global History, which was published in 2018, has been translated into Spanish, French, Chinese and Polish. His newest book is a wartime biography of Admiral Chester Nimitz entitled Nimitz at War, (spring of 2022).

ALEX LOVELACE | Scholar in Residence at the Contemporary History Institute, Ohio University

3:30 p.m.-5 p.m., Monday, June 27, Orchestra Hall | “The Media Offensive: How the American Press Shaped Allied Strategy during World War”

This lecture examines how and why the press influenced military operations during World War II. With the onset of total war, both Axis and Allied nations hoped to employ the media as a weapon in the conflict.

For the U.S. military, the media was used to inspire soldiers, improve the morale of the home front, and influence public opinion to better serve the war effort. At the same time, the press and public opinion increasingly influenced the battlefield decisions of military commanders. By the end of the war, the media was playing a large role in the strategic and operational decisions of Allied generals.

Alexander Lovelace holds a master’s degree in military and American history from George Washington University, where he was awarded the Charles Herber Teaching Prize for Best Graduate Teaching Assistant in 2013.

His master’s thesis was Hughes’ War: The Allied High Command Through the Eyes of General Everett S. Hughes. Lovelace focuses mainly on Allied military leadership in World War II, along with military-media relations. His latest research and writing deal involve General George Patton and the American media. Lovelace is currently a Scholar in Residence at the Contemporary History Institute, Ohio University.

Weapons of WW2 Axis Countries 

The presentation will begin with an overview of select rifles and pistols of various countries that declared war on the US during WW2, or otherwise engaged in hostilities with the US.  Japan, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, and Thailand will be considered.  The history of individual guns based on individual production date, proof marks, modifications, and known arms contracts will be presented followed by Q&A and an opportunity for hands-on inspection.

Save the date and plan to attend one or all four sessions of this new lecture series developed by the Lakeside Environmental Stewardship Society (LESS) and Lakeside Wooden Boat Society (LWBS) in partnership with Lakeside Chautauqua.

This Climate Change & Lake Erie Lecture Series, held in Orchestra Hall, features expert scientists and thought leaders presented both with in-person and virtual formats on June 15, June 22, June 29 and July 6. From global climate change to toxic cyanobacterial blooms, each session includes a one-hour thought-provoking and informational lecture followed by Q&A.

Lake Erie Cyanobacterial Blooms: An Overview of Blooms and Ongoing Research

This presentation will cover the problems associated with toxic cyanobacterial blooms (cHABs), why Lake Erie is prone to blooms, and current research aimed at reducing the blooms and forecasting their presence and toxicity. While phosphorus is a main driver of blooms, many other factors have important roles, such as nitrogen, light levels, and water currents. 

Justin Chaffin is the Research Coordinator for Stone Laboratory and conducts his own research on cHABs in Lake Erie. His duties as Research Coordinator include arranging visiting researchers’ visits to Stone Lab, coordination of the REU program, upkeep of analytical equipment, maintenance of the atmospheric mercury monitoring system, and serving as the Chemical & Laboratory Safety Officer. Chaffin is also a licensed captain by the United States Coast Guard. 

His research interest is Lake Erie phytoplankton ecology with particular interest in cHABs. Chaffin’s recent and ongoing research projects include linking experiments and models to predict cHAB toxicity, investigations into central basin cHABs, determining drivers of benthic algal blooms, the effectiveness of data buoys at measuring cHAB biomass, rapid microcystin tests, and saxitoxin production in inland lakes.

Since 2013, Chaffin has coordinated with charter boat captains who collect water samples once a week for his lab to analyze, and then the captains get a weekly update on Lake Erie water quality. 

Additional lectures in the series:
– June 15: Climate Change & What to Do About It with Jordan Kern
– June 22: Addressing Climate Change: Ending 20th Century Air Pollution with 21st Century Action with Jason West
– July 6: Life in a Sacramental Ecology with David McDuffie

The musical sounds of World War II shaped some of the most prolific music of the 20th Century, both in the country and around the world.

Join musician and performer Michael Shirtz as he explores the performers and composers of the era, as well as the power behind the music as a source of healing, morale building, propaganda, and more.

The influence of the war efforts brought great advancements to the music industry through records, radio, and motion pictures.

From the Big Band music of Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey to the songs of the Andrew Sisters, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, and more, walk down memory lane to the music of 1940s and the era’s influence on the music of today.

Buy Pass & Parking

On Wednesday, June 29 at 7:30 p.m., actress Sherrie Tolliver brings the character of ‘Rosie the Riveter’ to life at the Steele Memorial Bandstand as part of the Education Department’s World War II Theme week.

Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon of World War II, representing the women who worked in factories and shipyards during the war. Join cultural history interpreter Sherrie Tolliver, from Women in History, for a discussion on how the recruitment of women for this noble cause forever changed women’s role in the workplace.

Come and hear the intriguing story of American women on the Home Front during World War II. Their willingness to embrace all hardship to promote the war effort was embodied by J. Howard Miller’s “I Can Do It” poster featuring the character that became known to history as Rosie the Riveter. Rosie’s iconic image reminds Americans of women’s social and economic awakening amid the worst conflict in human history.

Sherrie Tolliver portrays several historical women, and is based in North Carolina.