College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

Villanova University history professor Adele Lindenmeyr will discuss the important roles women played in one of the 20th century's most significant events - the 1917 Russian Revolution - at the University of Dayton department of history's Beauregard-King Emeriti Lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21.

The annual Beauregard-King Emeriti Lecture honors distinguished emeritus faculty, the late Erving Beauregard and Edwin King. The event in the Jesse Philips Humanities Center’s Sears Recital Hall on the University of Dayton campus is free and open to the public. Seating is limited.

Lindenmeyr, dean of Villanova’s College of Liberal Arts, is an internationally recognized expert in modern Russian history and culture.

“The speaker committee chose this event based on the 100th anniversary of the revolution and the way in which it has set the tone for world politics in the 20th century and the years following,” said David Darrow, associate professor of history. “We are still living today with the consequences of the 1917 Russian Revolution on many levels.”

The Russian revolution that occurred in February 1917 resulted in the collapse of the Tsarist autocracy and made possible a Bolshevik seizure of power in October and the eventual rise of the Soviet Union.

In addition to history students, Darrow hopes the prestigious speaker and topic will appeal to students in international studies, women’s and gender studies, and other humanities and social sciences disciplines within the University’s College of Arts and Sciences.

“This is really a cool opportunity for our students to hear Dr. Lindenmeyr speak, as she is one of the editors on a massive international project commemorating this period of Russia’s great war and revolution,” Darrow said.

Lindenmeyr is excited to share her scholarship with University students and the Dayton public to commemorate and explore the significance of such an important event in world history.

“I’m very much looking forward to my first visit to the University of Dayton, and to meeting faculty and students there,” Lindenmeyr said. “It’s a great honor to be invited to give the Beauregard-King lecture. The question of women’s political participation has particular resonance today, after the historic 2016 election and last month’s women’s marches. The 1917 Russian Revolution provides some interesting historical insights.”

Darrow believes the lecture also could be of interest to the general public.

“Russia is a place of immediate interest to many Americans today,” Darrow said. “If you want to begin to understand the factors affecting the relationship that America has with the Russian Federation today, knowing how the Russian Federation got to where it is is a good place to start.”

- Alex Burchfield ’16, communication assistant, College of Arts and Sciences