Summer of Events for American West Program Kicks Off Tonight at Colorado State University

The 21st American West Program at Colorado State University begins tonight with a talk on "The Founding Fathers and Manifest Destiny" by Eugene Berwanger, professor and chairman of the history department at Colorado State. The program, free and open to the public, begins at 7:30 p.m. in Room 113 Natural Resources Building.

Berwanger joins a series of speakers visiting campus this summer to explore Western expansion under the program’s theme, "Manifest Destiny and the West to 1850."

A special highlight of the series will be a visit by Thomas Jefferson June 9 in the form of Clay Jenkinson, nationally recognized authority on the third president of the United States. Jenkinson will present his program at 7:30 p.m. in the North Ballroom of the Lory Student Center.

Jenkinson travels the country portraying Thomas Jefferson in historically accurate presentations to schoolchildren and professional and business organizations. He was consultant to PBS documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and created the nationally syndicated radio show, "Thomas Jefferson Hour." Jenkinson is on leave as humanities instructor at the University of Nevada at Reno while he travels, and he has appeared in 45 states on more than 1,000 occasions, including several presentations at the White House.

Other highlights include a talk on John Charles Fremont’s fourth expedition into the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado, a discussion on the Alamo and a presentation on Manifest Destiny and the rise of modern journalism.

All programs begin at 7:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Programs will take place in Room 113 Natural Resources Building except for Jenkinson’s talk, which will take place in the North Ballroom of the Lory Student Center.

In conjunction with the American West Program, the summer exhibit of the Curfman Gallery in the Lory Student Center will feature the artwork of William Henry Jackson.

A complete schedule of events follows.

• June 2 – "The Founding Fathers and Manifest Destiny," Eugene Berwanger, professor and chairman of the history department at Colorado State University.
• June 9 – "Mr. Jefferson and the West," Clay Jenkinson, Lory Student Center North Ballroom.
• June 16 – "Trail to Disaster: John Charles Fremont’s Fourth Expedition into the San Juan Mountains of Southern Colorado," Patricia Joy Richmond, historian and teacher from Crestone.
• June 23 – "Manifest Destiny and the Rise of Modern Journalism," Charles Rankin, editor of Montana, The Magazine of Western History from the Montana Historical Society.
• June 30 – "The Alamo: The Mexican View," Daniel Martinez, historian for the National Park Service.
• July 7 – "Conquest of New Mexico and the Invasion of Chihuahua, Mexico: A Forgotten Episode of the U.S.-Mexican War," Neil Mangum, superintendent of Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument in Montana.
• July 14 – "Manifest Destiny and Indian Removals," Valerie Mathes, professor in the department of social science at City College of San Francisco.
• July 21 – "Los Capitalistas: New Mexican Merchants and the Santa Fe Trade," Susan Calafate Boyle, independent historian from Fort Collins.
• July 28 – "The Western Hero and Manifest Destiny – Boone, Crockett and Carson," Paul Hutton, history professor at the University of New Mexico.

For more information on the American West Program, call Harry Rosenberg in the history department at 491-5230.