Carol Reardon, a military scholar and the current Penn State Laureate scholar, will deliver a lecture titled “Why Study War?” at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium at Penn State Berks. This event is free and open to the public.
Reardon is the George Winfree Professor of American History in the College of the Liberal Arts at Penn State University Park campus and a military historian who specializes in the study of the American Civil War and the Vietnam conflict. She is also the first woman to win election to the presidency of the Society for Military History and the author of several publications, including the award-winning book "Pickett's Charge in History and Memory."
In her book, Reardon used the famous Confederate attack that ended the Battle of Gettysburg to explore how we remember, alter, or even forget, our military past. She frequently leads both academic and public field programs on the Gettysburg battlefield, drawing upon the current site and its history to encourage a deeper reflection and understanding of the many ways in which armed conflict or opposition to it touches our civic and personal lives.
Talking about war is seldom comfortable, stated Reardon, but the cost of remaining uninformed or misinformed about such a potentially transformative force is not one that we can afford to pay.
“Carol Reardon’s scholarship and teaching on military history, Civil War strategy, and leadership have helped shape our nation’s understanding of military conflicts,” said Penn State President Eric Barron. “She is an engaging speaker with great stories about Gettysburg, Vietnam, and other wars; she is sure to make a lasting impact on our community during her laureate year.”
The Penn State Laureate, an honorary position established in 2008, is a full-time faculty member in the humanities or the arts who is assigned for one academic year to bring an enhanced level of social, cultural, artistic, and human perspective and awareness to a broad array of audiences. The Penn State Laureate travels to the campuses of the University during this term. In addition to her public talk, Reardon will also be meeting with student veterans who are attending Penn State Berks.
For more information on this event, contact Jayne Brown, senior lecturer in English at Penn State Berks, at 610-396-6041 or via email at jrb30@psu.edu.