Speaker Series

Spring 2026

All in-person events will be held in the Sarah and Daniel Opperman Auditorium, Park Library. A reception in the Clarke follows in-person events. 

Cover image of Frank Boles' book,

John and Audrey Cumming Lecture:
Dr. Frank Boles, former director, Clarke Historical Library (retired)

Wednesday, February 4, 7:00 pm In-person event

Visiting Mackinac: 150 Years of Tourism at Michigan's Fabled Straits

The history of how tourism grew on Mackinac Island and in the nearby communities of St. Ignace and Mackinaw City.

Cover of the Daniel Harrison's book,

Dr. Daniel Harrison, Department of Anthropology, Wayne State University

Tuesday, March 3, 7:00 pm Online event

Voices from the Flats: Readings from Michigan's Venice, the Transformation of the St. Clair Maritime Landscape, 1640—2000

A new approach to maritime archaeology of the St. Clair area waterways.

Use the following link to register for this online event.

Christopher Gillcrist, Director Emeritus, National Museum of the Great Lakes

Monday, March 30, 7:00 pm In-person event

Dark Waters: True Crime & Mystery on the Great Lakes

A look into the Great Lakes' shadowy past reveals how moments of darkness helped shape the communities that line these inland seas.

Cover of Anderson's book,

David and Eunice Sutherland Burgess Lecture:
Laurie Halse Anderson

Monday, April 13, 7:00 pm In-person event

An Evening with Award-Winning Author Laurie Halse Anderson

Hear Anderson speak about her newest novel, Rebellion 1776, which explores the chaotic time of the start of the American Revolution in Boston through the eyes of a servant girl.

All Clarke Speaker Series events are free and open to the public. Please contact us at clarke@cmich.edu or 989.774.3864 if you are in need of accommodation or information about connecting to online presentations via telephone.

Events