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If you’re like me (by that I mean nerdy), an opportunity to attend a free public lecture about an interesting topic is actually quite exciting. Pairing such an event with a cup of coffee or a beer with friends before or after sounds like even more fun.
There are two such possible evenings coming up on Capitol Hill this week. There is an Overbeck Lecture scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 22, and a free lecture at the Washington Institute for Public Service & Policy Development on Thursday, Sept. 24.
The Overbeck Lecture Series has been taking place on Capitol Hill for years. I’ve attended a few and always leave feeling smarter and more informed about the neighborhood and the city. On Tuesday evening, Sept. 22, local historian Cindy Janke will present an illustrated Overbeck History Lecture on William Prout, the 18th century owner of the land that today comprises most of the Capitol Hill Historic District, including the Navy Yard, the 8th Street business corridor and Eastern Market.
The lecture will be held at 8:00 p.m. at the Naval Lodge Hall at 330 Pennsylvania Avenue S.E. Admission is free but seating is limited, so you should rsvp. Simply email OverbeckLecture@aol.com, or phone 202-544-1845, and leave your name, phone number and email address and the number of seats needed. The reservation is automatic – you will be notified only if no more seats are available. And, if you don’t have time to rsvp and just want to show up, you’ll almost certainly be invited in after the reserved people have been seated.
Then, on Sept. 24, the Washington Institute for Public Service & Policy Development at Nyack College, DC Campus will launch its Fall Lecture Series, “The Imperiled Promise of the Common Good.”
The first lecture in the series of three will feature Thomas “Tom” Gibson, a founding editor and cartoonist on the Opinion staff of USA Today who has also worked with The Washington Post, The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, and the National Journal. Gibson’s lecture “The Imperiled Promise of Freedom of the Press” will surely be informed by his work with numerous print and online publications. Gibson also served in the administration of Ronald Reagan as associate director of cabinet affairs, special assistant to the president, director of public affairs, and director of communications.
More recently, Gibson designed and implemented the Republican National Convention’s web presence for the 2004 convention and became founder and president of Advocacy Animation, an Internet-based advocacy content and distribution company. In Spring 2009, he launched an animated, interactive Web-based editorial cartoon called “Scary Thought.”
“Mr. Gibson’s experiences as a government worker inside an administration and then as a member of the press encouraged to critique government policies, makes him the perfect person to discuss the role of freedom of the press and the daily challenges that threaten it,” said Dr. Richard Gathro, dean of Nyack College’s D.C. campus.
This lecture will begin with light refreshments at 6:30pm at the Hall of States, located at 444 North Capitol Street, NW, and is open to the public and free of charge.
As for nerdy little me, I’m looking forward to getting smarter about historic Capitol Hill on Tuesday night and gaining interesting tid-bits from an editorial cartoonist for my conversations after Thursday night.