CANTON, MO – Culver-Stockton College Chair of Applied Liberal Arts and Sciences Division and Professor of History Dr. Scott Giltner, will deliver the annual Dr. John A. Sperry Jr. Endowed Chair of Humanities Lecture at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 12 in Meaders Lounge inside Gladys Crown Student Center on the C-SC campus. The lecture is offered as part of the College’s academic and cultural events program (ACE) and is free to attend and open to the public.
The lecture titled, “Alexander Campbell and James Shannon in Transatlantic Perspective: Education, Emigration, and the Disciples’ Deepest Divide,” will cover how before becoming prominent in the Restoration Movement, Alexander Campbell and James Shannon shared common roots in revolutionary Northern Ireland. In the aftermath of the violent chaos of the 1798 rebellion and subsequent imposition of Union with Great Britain, both men would leave for America. But they would arrive in very different ways to very different places. Their backgrounds in Northern Ireland and the circumstances of their respective journeys to America will be examined as key context for their later views on slavery, which became the most divisive issue among the Disciples by the 1840s and 1850s.
John A. Sperry Jr. was a distinguished professor of humanities throughout his 35-year career at Culver-Stockton and was awarded emeritus status upon his retirement. He was best known for his enthusiasm and breadth of knowledge in the subjects of history and humanities. Sperry served with the U.S. Army in World War II. He graduated from three universities and received several honorary degrees. Jean Sperry, John’s wife, established the Sperry Chair and Lecture in 1992 to commemorate her husband’s time at Culver-Stockton. The annual lecture honors Sperry for his dedication to the Culver-Stockton community. Dr. Scott Giltner joined the Culver-Stockton faculty in August 2005. He teaches courses in history with topics such as U.S. history before 1865 and since 1865, sports in American history, African American history, America in the 1950s and 1960s, American history through film, and the Civil War era. He has served Culver-Stockton as chair of the history department, director of experiential learning, and associate division chair. Dr. Giltner was appointed Sperry Chair in 2023.
Giltner was one of the inaugural recipients of the Dome Award, which recognizes C-SC employees who have played an important role in the advancement of the College, during the Alumni Honors Banquet in October 2019. He was one of the three inaugural recipients of the Blue Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching presented by the Culver-Stockton Teacher Organization in 2019.
ABOUT CULVER-STOCKTON COLLEGE
Culver-Stockton College, situated on 140 acres in Canton, Missouri, atop The Hill overlooking the Mississippi River was founded in 1853 by members of the Disciples of Christ Church. Today, more than 1,000 students from around the world shape their futures in academic excellence with opportunities in 80 majors and minors, five graduate programs, 19 NAIA inter-collegiate athletics, 35 diverse student organizations, and many campus-life events.
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