2026 McCreight Lecture in the Humanities - Rick Atkinson
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The West Virginia Humanities Council is pleased to present the 44th Betsy K. McCreight Lecture in the Humanities featuring three-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Rick Atkinson.
Atkinson served as a historical advisor for documentary filmmaker Ken Burns’ recent PBS series 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary. Burns describes the 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 bestselling author and former 𝘞𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘵 journalist as being “among the greatest of all historians."
The first volume of Atkinson’s acclaimed Revolution Trilogy, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢, 𝘓𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘵𝘰𝘯, 1775–1777, has earned numerous honors, including the George Washington Prize and the New York Historical Society’s Zalaznick Book Prize.
The trilogy’s second volume, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘺: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢, 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘛𝘪𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘢 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯, 1777–1780, continues the sweeping narrative of the American Revolution, capturing the conflict’s critical middle years through vivid storytelling and historical insights.
Please join us to explore the people, places, and moments that shaped our country’s founding.
Thursday, October 15, 2026
7:30 p.m.
Capitol Theater
123 Summers Street
Charleston, West Virginia
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Doors open at 7p.m.
Book signing following the lecture
Atkinson served as a historical advisor for documentary filmmaker Ken Burns’ recent PBS series 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary. Burns describes the 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 bestselling author and former 𝘞𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘵 journalist as being “among the greatest of all historians."
The first volume of Atkinson’s acclaimed Revolution Trilogy, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢, 𝘓𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘵𝘰𝘯, 1775–1777, has earned numerous honors, including the George Washington Prize and the New York Historical Society’s Zalaznick Book Prize.
The trilogy’s second volume, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘺: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢, 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘛𝘪𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘢 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯, 1777–1780, continues the sweeping narrative of the American Revolution, capturing the conflict’s critical middle years through vivid storytelling and historical insights.
Please join us to explore the people, places, and moments that shaped our country’s founding.
Thursday, October 15, 2026
7:30 p.m.
Capitol Theater
123 Summers Street
Charleston, West Virginia
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Doors open at 7p.m.
Book signing following the lecture
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Where is it happening?
Capitol Theater, 123 Summers St, Charleston, WV 25301-2110, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherWest Virginia Humanities Council
