MISSOULA – The University of Montana will host a new schedule of President’s Lecture Series speakers slated to bring free, enlivening talks to the campus community this fall.
The lecture series kicks off Monday, Sept. 15, with Robert Putnam’s talk “Making Democracy Work." Join Putnam, the Malkin Research Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University, at 7 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom or via livestream. American Sign Language interpretation will be provided. The event is the 2024-25 Lucile Speer Memorial Lecture and Mansfield Center Lecture.
Putnam is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the British Academy and past president of the American Political Science Association. In 2006, he received the Skytte Prize, the world's highest accolade for a political scientist, and in 2012, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal – the nation’s highest honor for contributions to the humanities – by former President Barack Obama.
Putnam has written 15 books, including “Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Italy” and “Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community,” both among the most cited and bestselling social science works in nearly a century. He also consulted for former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama.
The next installment of the President’s Lecture Series will be “The Book of Delights: An Evening with Ross Gay” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, in UM’s Alice Lund Instructional Auditorium. This event will serve as UM’s 2025 Griz Read Lecture.
Gay studies joy through his writing and is the author of four books of poetry. He is a winner of the PEN American Literary Jean Stein Award, the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2016 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. In addition to his poetry, Gay has released three collections of essays. “The Book of Delights,” this year’s Griz Read selection, was released in 2019 and was a New York Times bestseller.
The President’s Lecture Series will continue this fall at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, with a talk by Richard Reeves titled after his latest book, “Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why it Matters and What to do About it.” The event, serving as the 2025-26 Lucile Speer Memorial Lecture, will be held in the UC Ballroom and livestreamed.
Reeves is a best-selling author and influential social commentator whose work centers on two questions: Where do inequalities persist in society today, and how can we most effectively address them? He was named among America’s top 25 thinkers by Politico for his examination of class dynamics in contemporary America, explored in his book Dream Hoarders. His most recent book was hailed as a “landmark” by The New York Times and was recognized as a book of the year by former President Obama, The New Yorker and The Economist.
The President’s Lecture Series provides an opportunity for the community to gather, learn and discuss invigorating ideas and issues. UM President Seth Bodnar looks forward to hosting a series that challenges all to engage in meaningful – and enjoyable – learning together.
Additional speakers will be announced at a later date for this spring. More information about speakers is available online.
