Presidential historian to speak at Ashland on Sept. 22

ASHLAND, Ohio – Ashland University will welcome noted presidential historian Thomas Balcerski on Wednesday, Sept. 22, for a lecture titled “Ranking the Best … and the Worst Presidents.” The event, co-sponsored by the Ashland Honors Program and Phi Alpha Theta honorary society, will take place at the Dauch College of Business and Economics, Room 115, at 7:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

Balcerski, an associate professor of history at Eastern Connecticut State University, plans to discuss his experience as a presidential historian and participant in the 2021 C-SPAN Presidential Historians Survey. He will also lead a discussion with the attendees on the varying ideals of what it means to be a good or bad president of the United States.

A scholar of early American history, Balcerski is the author of a recent book, “Bosom Friends: The Intimate World of James Buchanan and William Rufus King,” which explores the personal and political relationship of those two 19th-century Democrats. He is working on another book about the history of the Democratic Party, while his other research interests include U.S. presidents, first ladies, and manhood and gender.

Balcerski holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, a master’s from Stony Brook University, and a Ph.D. in history from Cornell.

Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland, and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.