Williamstown – Joseph Ellis, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, professor of history at Mt. Holyoke College, and author of "His Excellency: George Washington" will speak at Williams on Thursday, March 2. His talk, "The Foundingest Father: George Washington" will be delivered at 8 p.m. in Griffin Hall, room 3.
Described by the New York Times as "an eloquent champion and brilliant practitioner of the old-fashioned art of biography," Ellis is author of a number of works on America's early republic and its personalities.
Ellis sought, in "His Excellency: George Washington," to "get beyond the monument into the man."
While "Americans see their first president on dollar bills, quarters, and Mount Rushmore," Thomas Jefferson and James Madison saw him as "their unquestioned superior" and Ellis shows Washington to the reader throughout his life: "as a young soldier… As the commander of an outmatched rebel army," a man who accepted the presidency only for the sake of the union, "driven by his belief that the union's very viability depended on a powerful central government."
"His Excellency: George Washington" follows Ellis' previous bestsellers "American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson" and the 2000 Pulitzer Prize-winning "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation."
In "American Sphinx," Ellis searched for "the living, breathing person" behind the history; in "Founding Brothers," he traced the character and development of both the revolution and the people behind it. In "His Excellency, George Washington," he shows the reader not the idealist but the pragmatist, revealing that the man sculpted as Cincinnatus by Houdon was perhaps most successful because of "a knack for sheer survival."
Ellis is the author of seven historical books, largely on the early American republic and its personalities. In addition to "Founding Brothers" Pulitzer Prize, the "American Sphinx" won the National Book Award in 1997 for nonfiction.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Dalton Day Returns This Saturday
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The town's popular Dalton Day festival is returning this weekend after a year's hiatus.
The event will kick off this Saturday at 11 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. in the field in front of the Senior Center.
The community celebration was established in 2023 by the Cultural Council in an effort to increase resident participation at town meetings while also showcasing the area's welcoming, diverse, artistic and sporty atmosphere. In 2024, the event brought together 300 residents.
"The primary mission of Dalton Day is to foster a strong sense of community, build civic pride, and bring residents together through a shared celebration of local culture, music, and food," said Jeannie Ingram, Select Board member and cultural council chair, and Lori Venezia, executive assistant to the town manager.
The event provides an accessible and free platform for "civic education, community bonding, and supporting local businesses, artisans, makers, and culture more broadly," they said.
The festival strengthens the fabric of the town both civically and economically by connecting grassroots organizations with residents, fostering a shared sense of belonging, and providing free, family-friendly entertainment.
It also serves as an opportunity for community members to meet with local officials and a couple of state officials. State Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. Leigh Davis will be coming from Beacon Hill to speak at the event.
Cassidy Flynn scattered five hits in a complete-game effort in the circle as Lenox upset top-seeded Hoosac Valley, 3-2, in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament. click for more
Brayden Durant struck out seven and walked one in a complete-game effort on the mound Saturday to pitch the Drury baseball team to a 6-0 win over Keefe Tech in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament at Joe Wolfe Field. click for more
Jason Codey struck out 13, walked two and allowed just an infield single as the Generals earned a 7-1 win over Wahconah to claim their third straight regional title. click for more
Gracelyn Wright struck out eight, and Genevieve Lagess went 3-for-5 with four runs batted in as the Hurricanes beat Monson, 17-3, to claim their first Western Mass title in four years. click for more
