BEMIDJI, Minn. — Michael Hansen will describe life in early Minnesota during a Tuesday, Oct. 7, lecture at 10 a.m. in the Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation (CRI), located at 3801 Bemidji Avenue North.
Free and open to the public, the 90-minute program is part of the fall Tuesday morning lecture series sponsored by the Academy of Lifelong Learning (ALL) and coordinated by the CRI.
On May 11 this year, Minnesota reached the 150th anniversary of being welcomed as the 32nd state in the United States. Over the course of the 2008, Sesquicentennial programs have been held statewide to help current citizens to learn from the past and create a vital future.
During the lecture, Hansen will draw from 51 years of delivering presentations on history to outline the origins of Minnesota, the arrivals of different groups, early problems of statehood, and the growth of mining, lumbering, manufacturing and medicine.
“I will trace the relationship between the Anglo culture and native peoples as well as Minnesota’s role in the hostility with the Dakota people,” he said. “I will also address what makes Minnesota a state which has a strong national reputation as a great place to live and work despite an extreme climate and relative isolation.”
Hansen, who taught history in the Minnesota public school system for 30 years, continues to teach and lecture for colleges, civic organizations, tours, Elderhostels, and senior citizen groups. He also has experience in the military, serving with the Iowa National Guard, the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps, and the Army Reserve Military Intelligence.
A native of Council Bluffs, Iowa, he received a bachelor’s degree in history from Wayne State (Neb.) College and a master’s from the University of Wyoming.
The Academy of Lifelong Learning offers humanities-based programs made possible in part with private donations and support from Bemidji State University.
Individuals who wish to be added to the ALL mailing list or have questions about this program should contact the Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation at (218) 755-4900; toll free, (888) 738-3224; email, cri@bemidjistate.edu; or at http://www.cri-bsu.org.
FOR YOUR CALENDAR
Oct. 7 – 10 a.m. – Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation hosts Academy of Lifelong Learning lecture on the early history of Minnesota. Presenter: Michael Hansen, historian. Location: CRI; 3801 Bemidji Ave. N., Bemidji, Minn. Cost: free. For information: (218) 755-4900; (888) 738-3224; http://www.cri-bsu.org.