Programs · The Theodore Sedgwick Distinguished Lecture Series
A series on democracy, civic life, and the American story.
Presented by the University of Louisville's Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute in collaboration with the Filson Historical Society. Distinguished speakers on the questions every generation has to answer for itself: how to live together, govern fairly, and read history honestly.
Recent lecture
Celebrating America on its 250th birthday.
March 17, 2026 · 4:30–6:30 PM
In person at the Filson and on Zoom · Free, reservations required
As the nation prepared to celebrate its 250th anniversary, Dr. R. Scott Stephenson, President & CEO of Philadelphia’s Museum of the American Revolution, joined the Filson for an exploration of the Museum’s award-winning exhibitions and programs — from George Washington’s original Revolutionary War tent to the ongoing global impact of the Declaration of Independence.
Dr. Stephenson received his MA and PhD in American History from the University of Virginia. Over three decades, he has developed exhibitions, programs, films, and other media for Colonial Williamsburg, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, and the Museum of the Cherokee People. He was the founding Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the Museum of the American Revolution in 2007 and has served as President and CEO since 2018.
Since opening in 2017, the Museum has welcomed nearly two million visitors.
About the partnership
The Filson + the Envirome Institute.
The Sedgwick lectures are co-presented with the University of Louisville’s Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, which studies the conditions in which communities flourish — from public health to civic infrastructure. The series brings global perspective into Louisville and lands it inside the Filson’s 142-year mission to make the past usable in the present.
Recent topics
The questions the series has taken on.
Between Democracy and Authoritarianism in Asia: Opportunities, Challenges, and the United States' Changing Role
Evolving Central Europe
Reintegrating the Formerly Incarcerated: Real Talk with Respect
Stay connected
Be the first to hear about the next Sedgwick lecture.
Filson members hear about new lectures first. Membership is also the most direct way to support the public-program calendar that brings these conversations to Louisville.