On May 31, 2018, the Honorable John Hager delivered a Banner Lecture, “Best Seat in the House.” Since being struck by polio in 1973, John Hager has enjoyed life as a participatory sport — in the game, not on the sidelines. Life for him has been whole and exciting by doing not observing, and his “up close and personal” involvement with so many individuals, organizations, and groups has been enriching and fulfilling. In this lecture, John Hager talks about his life and how what some see as a handicap has instead been an enabling, not disabling, opportunity to serve others.

On May 22, 2018, Lord Alan Watson delivered a Banner Lecture about his book, “Churchill’s Legacy: Two Speeches to Save the World.”

On May 16, 2018, Bobby Ukrop and his coauthors participated in a moderated discussion about their book, “The Diamond—Miracle on the Boulevard.” Born out of crisis, the community-wide effort to build the region’s sparkling jewel, “The Diamond,” showed what could happen with regional cooperation, a public-private partnership, and grassroots support of the citizenry. The Diamond opened on April 17, 1985, having been built in the off-season. It was a miracle! How did it happen and what can we learn about vision and teamwork from this Miracle on the Boulevard?

On May 9, 2018, Dr. Paul Finkelman and Dr. Edward L. Ayers engaged in a conversation about Dr. Finkelman’s latest book, “Supreme Injustice: Slavery in the Nation’s Highest Court" and the entanglements that alienated three major justices from America’s founding ideals and embedded racism ever deeper in American civic life. 

On April 6, 2018, Toni Tipton-Martin presented a Banner Lecture about her book, “Inside the Jemima Code: The Joy of African American Cooking.”

On May 1, 2018, Francis Gary Powers, Jr., presented a Banner Lecture about his book, Letters from a Soviet Prison: A Son’s Search for the Truth. For the past twenty-five years, Francis Gary Powers, Jr., has lectured on, taught, and researched the Cold War; in particular the U-2 Incident of May 1, 1960, in which his father was shot down while flying a CIA U-2 spy plane over the former Soviet Union.

Fifty years ago, cutting-edge science intersected with human drama and changed the course of medical history. The Medical College of Virginia in Richmond was situated squarely in the path of the race to the first successful human heart transplant. And now, it’s history.

On March 22, 2018 , Gregory J. Hansard delivered Banner Lecture at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture entitled “‘Haven of Safety’: The Kaiser’s Courteous Pirates in Hampton Roads.”

On March 8, 2018, Kat Imhoff delivered at Banner Lecture entitled “Dolley Madison and the Politics of Gracious Hospitality” at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

On February 15, 2018, Brian Horrigan spoke at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture about the exhibition WW1 America during the exhibition's Member Preview.