CANYON—A prominent advocate of life on the Great Plains will discuss regional pride at an upcoming event at West Texas A&M University.

Clay Jenkinson, host of NPR’s “Listening to America” (previously “The Thomas Jefferson Hour”), will speak at 7 p.m. Nov. 7 in Legacy Hall in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on WT’s Canyon campus. 

“The Language of Cottonwoods: A Dialogue on the Plains and Sense of Place with Clay Jenkinson” is presented by WT’s Center for the Study of the American West as this year’s Garry L. Nall Lecture in Western Studies. The event is co-presented by WT’s Distinguished Lecture Series and The Arts at WT: A Subscription Series, as well as High Plains Public Radio.

The event is free and open to the public. A light reception will precede the lecture, and Jenkinson will sign books following his remarks.

“Clay Jenkinson hails from North Dakota and takes a lot of pride in that,” said Dr. Alex Hunt, CSAW director, Regents Professor of English and Vincent-Haley Professor of Western Studies. “His recent book, ‘The Language of Cottonwoods,’ has much to teach us about sense of place on the Great Plains, which is why we thought he was a perfect speaker for CSAW.

“CSAW is committed to developing place-knowledge in our students and in our community,” Hunt continued. “Jenkinson is a champion of the humanities and history, and he is a wonderfully engaging speaker. It’s going to be a great event.”

Jenkinson is a humanities scholar, author, and social commentator, devoting most of his career to public humanities programs. As one of the nation’s leading interpreters of Thomas Jefferson and other historical figures, Jenkinson has performed before Supreme Court justices, presidents, 18 state legislatures, and countless public, corporate and student audiences, as well as appearing on “The Today Show,” “Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher,” “The Colbert Report” and CNN.

He has dedicated the better part of his life to researching the historical characters that he portrays and to bringing back and defining the “living theatre” of Chautauqua, which also emphasizes education with audience participation to enhance the learning and entertainment experience.

Jenkinson is the recipient of one of the first five Charles Frankel Prizes, the National Endowment for the Humanities’ highest award (now called the National Humanities Medal), from President George H.W. Bush.

In addition to his radio show and podcast, he leads humanities-based group tours to historic locales such as the Lewis & Clark trail in Montana and Idaho, John Steinbeck’s California, and Jefferson’s France. He lives and writes in Bismarck, North Dakota.

The Nall Lecture, held each semester by CSAW, honors Dr. Garry L. Nall’s service to WT and scholastic achievements. This endowed lecture series supports CSAW’s mission to promote the study of the American West by bringing a noted scholar to campus each semester.

About WT’s Distinguished Lecture Series

The Distinguished Lecture Series was created to enhance education in the classroom by inviting people of national prominence to speak to WT students and the community about important issues. For information, visit wtamu.edu/academics/distinguished-lecture-series.

About the Center for the Study of the American West

CSAW was formed in fall 2016 with a mission of fostering the study of the American West at West Texas A&M University and building bridges between the university, the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum and the regional populace. CSAW seeks to promote the American West both as a culturally unique region and as a product of broad historical forces. For more information about CSAW and upcoming events, visit wtamu.edu/csaw.