2026-27 Lecture Series

Fall 2027

Common Read Lecture

Presenter: Nora Krug, author and illustrator of Diaries of War: Two Visual Accounts from Ukraine and Russia
When: Wednesday, September 16, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. 
Where: McCann Center

Required for FYS Students, Open to the Marist Community - No registration necessary

This event will bring together the first-year class and the larger Marist community to hear from Nora Krug, the author and illustrator of the 2026-2027 Common Read, Diaries of War: Two Visual Accounts from Ukraine and Russia. Krug will speak about the book, which explores, through text and illustrations, the contrasting life experiences of a Ukrainian journalist and an anti-war Russian artist during the first year of the on-going Ukrainian Russian War.

Website: New Book: Diaries of War – NoraKrug

Handel-Krom Lecture in Hudson River Valley History

Title: Fortress West Point and the Highlands Department: Defending the Hudson River Valley
Presenter: Colonel (Ret.) James M. Johnson, PhD
When: Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Where: Nelly Goletti Theatre – also available virtually via Zoom

Registration is required for all attendees. Click here to register.

In this presentation based on his book, "Key of America: Fortress West Point and the Highlands Department in the American Revolution," Dr. Johnson will explore the Hudson River Valley’s vital role during the American Revolution, particularly as a strategic corridor and economic and political crossroads. Drawing on his deep military background and scholarly research, he will examine Fortress West Point and the Highlands Department's broader contributions to the war effort. He will discuss why General George Washington called Fortress West Point the "key of America" and share the progress being made on the preservation of the forts, redoubts, and batteries of Fortress West Point. His insights will connect past to present, highlighting the importance of regional heritage and education in cultivating engaged citizenship and leadership today.

Colonel (Ret.) James M. Johnson, PhD had a distinguished 30-year career in the U. S. Army and spent 32 years teaching military and Hudson River Valley history at the United States Military Academy, while on active duty, Marist College, now University, and the Naval War College. He was the co-founder and first Executive Director of the Hudson River Valley Institute at Marist where he also served as the Dr. Frank T. Bumpus Chair in Hudson River Valley History. The author of "Militiamen, Rangers, and Redcoats, The Military in Georgia, 1754-1776" and "Key of America: Fortress West Point and the Highlands Department in the American Revolution," Dr. Johnson is now Emeritus Professor of History at Marist and is still a leading voice in the study and preservation of the Hudson River Valley's historical legacy, particularly as it relates to the American Revolution and Fortress West Point. Both books are now available digitally from the West Point Press.

The Handel-Krom Lecture in Hudson River Valley History was established through the generosity of community leaders Shirley and Bernard Handel and Lieutenant Colonel Gilbert A. Krom, US Army, Retired, to promote knowledge of, and appreciation for, the rich history of this unique and important region of America.