Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM (ET)

A Brief History of Toys for Tots with Major Gunnar Spafford

From its humble beginnings in 1947, the wife of a Marine Reserve Major wanted to donate dolls to a charity that would distribute the toys to children in need. She convinced her husband to create one. He looked to fellow Marine reservists to get the job done. The project was a huge success and was officially adopted by the Marine Corps in 1948 and went nationwide almost immediately.

Today, Toys for Tots is recognized as an official activity of the Marine Corps and part of the official mission of the Marine Corps Reserve. For the past 77 years, the Toys for Tots program along with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve have led a campaign to collect new and unwrapped toys, providing millions of gifts annually to underprivileged children during the holiday season.

This Happy Hour guest speaker is Major Gunnar Spafford, USMC (Ret.) who is the Deputy Vice President of Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. The Foundation has supported Toys for Tots since 1991. Major Spafford will describe the history of Toys for Tots and how it has become a worldwide program. The Major will also explain the goals of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.

Wednesday, November 5, 2025 at 4:00 PM (ET)

The Lost Heirs: The Rise and Fall of the D’Oyly Carte Dynasty with James Stebbings

The name D’Oyly Carte is recognized throughout the world because of Richard D’Oyly Carte’s partnership with Gilbert and Sullivan, which produced fourteen famous comic operas during the last quarter of the 19th Century such as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado. Richard D’Oyly Carte (1844-1901) was one of the greatest impresarios of his age as well as a shrewd businessman who realized the potential of Gilbert and Sullivan’s work and worked closely with them to produce and promote their operas. The company became renowned for its high-quality productions featuring talented singers, musicians, and actors. It was the success of these operas that paved the way for D’Oyly Carte’s other achievements—building his own theatres and establishing a chain of luxury hotels that included The Savoy Hotel, Claridge’s and The Berkeley in London.

A gripping new book by author James Stebbings sheds new light on the untold story of the D’Oyly Carte family – and the tragic loss of two heirs that ultimately led to the dynasty’s downfall. ‘The Lost Heirs – The Rise and Fall of the D’Oyly Carte Dynasty, tells the story of Lucas and Michael D’Oyly Carte, the son and grandson of the legendary theatrical impresario and hotelier, Richard D’Oyly Carte.

Wednesday, October 1, 2025 at 5:00 PM (ET)

Vampire Literature: An Anthology

Co-Authors Dr. Robin Werner and her colleague, Dr. Elizabeth Lewis, will discuss their book titled Vampire Literature: An Anthology. Specifically, they will talk about the anthology’s inspiration and the challenges of the creation process.

Vampire Literature: An Anthology is the first anthology designed specifically to introduce students and general readers to the history, theory, and cultural impact of the literary vampire. With coverage from the early nineteenth century to the twenty-first, Vampire Literature: An Anthology brings together a wide range of texts from many eras and collects work by American, British, Irish, and Caribbean writers. The focus is on shorter prose texts, primarily short stories and novellas; in a few cases, longer works are excerpted. A range of illustrations, from political cartoons to film stills, is also included.

Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM (ET)

J.R.R. Tolkien with Rev. Andrew Lazo

J.R.R. Tolkien was a towering figure in the world of twentieth-century English letters. His labors on Beowulf continue to shape the literary landscape, his work on the Oxford English Dictionary still serves, and his groundbreaking thoughts about the role and purpose of fairy stories gave focus to the thoughts of C.S. Lewis and other Inklings. The Rev’d. Andrew Lazo returns to speak to the ESU about Tolkien’s approach to myth and language in his own period—an approach that still speaks call on our age as well. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Central Florida Branch.

Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at 4:00 PM (ET)

The Battle of Britain with Bob Fishman

June, 1940—In the past two months, Nazi Germany has conquered Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. Great Britain stands alone against the formidable German war machine. Now, Germany decides to bring Britain to its knees. In order to do that, Goering’s Luftwaffe must win air superiority over the English Channel and Southeast England. The Battle of Britain is about to begin. It is up to the outnumbered British Royal Air Force—”The Few”—to stop the Germans.

Please join Seattle’s Museum of Flight volunteer Bob Fishman for an in-depth look at a turning point in history—how the RAF defeated the Luftwaffe and saved Britain and perhaps the world from Nazi domination—the aircraft, the strategy, and the tactics including the first use of radar & ground control to manage an air battle. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Seattle Branch.

Wednesday, June 4, 2025 at 6:00 PM (ET)

Kansas City: Home of Disney’s Original Animation Studio

Walter Elias Disney (1901-1966) was born in Chicago, IL. The Disney family moved to Kansas City in 1911 where nine-year old Walt delivered newspapers with his brother, Roy. Six years later, Walt attended classes at the Kansas City Art Institute. Founded in 1885, the Kansas City Art Institute is one of the oldest and most respected art and design colleges in the U.S. In 1918, during World War I, Walt served in France with the Red Cross. In May, 1922, Disney founded his first professional film studio in Kansas City, Missouri. He named it Laugh-O-gram Films. Our guest speaker for this ESU Happy Hour is Dan Viets, President of Thank You Walt Disney, Inc. With photos and other images, Dan will share his vast knowledge of Walt Disney, the history of the Laugh-O-gram building and describe the services and activities planned for the building. The ESU Kansas City Branch sponsors this ESU Happy Hour.

Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 4:00 PM (ET)

A Chip Off Queen Victoria’s Block with John Vigar

Queen Victoria (1819-1901) is one of the best loved monarchs. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days, which was longer than those of any of her predecessors, constituted the Victorian era. The British Empire reached its peak during her rule. Almost within touching distance of our own time, her story is so familiar to us it seems unlikely that there is much new to discover. This ESU Happy Hour will uncover amazing and little-known aspects of Victoria’s family. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Charleston Branch.

Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at 4:00 PM (ET)

Why I Like Mark Twain with Susan K. Harris

Mark Twain (1835-1919) was an American humorist, journalist, lecturer, and novelist who gained international fame for his travel narratives and for his adventure stories of boyhood, especially The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He is considered one of America’s best and most beloved writers. Susan K. Harris is a Mark Twain scholar as well as a scholar of American women’s writings. She has published four books on the author. Susan’s talk will focus on Twain’s innovative language, his double-edged humor, his political courage, and his struggle to find certainty in an uncertain world. She will explore the debate over teaching Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—how its offensive language works, and why it matters. Susan investigates aspects of Mark Twain’s fascinating life most people never knew. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Indianapolis Branch.

Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at 5:00 PM (ET)

Misadventures in the Wild: An Afternoon of Photos and Film with Kris Millgate

Kris Millgate is an Emmy-Award winning multimedia journalist, bold storyteller, and certified Idaho Master Naturalist. She is a producer, writer, editor, and author of three books on her adventures. Kris will describe her amazing outdoor experiences from wildfires and water wars to tracking grizzlies and tagging trout. With a quarter-century of multimedia storytelling experience, she traverses the country in search of dynamic outdoor stories. She will talk about her transition from a TV news anchor to an outdoor naturalist and environmentalist through beautiful pictures and short film clips. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Sandhills Branch.

Wednesday, March 13, 2025 at 6:00 PM (ET)

King George IV: The Worst Ruler in British History?

British historian, Sir Spencer Walpole, described King George IV (1762-1830) as “a bad son, a bad husband, a bad father, a bad subject, a bad monarch, and a bad friend.” The Duke of Wellington was more charitable of the king, “[King George IV] was indeed the most extraordinary compound of talent, wit, buffoonery, obstinacy, and good feeling–in short, a medley of the most opposite qualities–with a great preponderance of good–that I ever saw in any character in my life.” King George IV was known for his manners and charm but also for his drunkenness, spendthrift ways, and scandalous love life.

Learn more about King George III’s son, who left the Crown weaker and less popular, but immeasurably richer in architecture, the fine and decorative arts, in this ESU Happy Hour hosted by James C. Kelly, Ph.D., of ESU’s Richmond Branch, who recently retired after a half-century-long curatorial career. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Richmond VA Branch.

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 4:00 PM (ET)

Why I Started World Elephant Day

Filmmaker and conservationist, Patricia Sims, talks about her journey to create the annual global awareness campaign, World Elephant Day, which she founded in 2012. Through her photography of Asian and African elephants, Patricia portrays her conservation work with elephants, her documentaries about elephants, and her recent trip to Kenya to see how the impact of World Elephant Day has helped numerous conservation organizations protect these animals for more than a decade by creating a global movement to save elephants.

This is a Happy Hour for the whole family. All ages will enjoy learning about Patricia’s quest to save and protect elephants, the largest land mammals on earth. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Kansas City Branch.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 5:00 PM (ET)

I Stole a Monet for My Client

Join this fascinating Happy Hour with guest speaker Debra Rhodes Smith who has written a memoir of anecdotes during her 34-year career as a certified arts appraiser and Fine Art Advisor. Many experiences are shared while amassing the art collections for some of the largest corporations and luxury hotels worldwide. In her book, “Tales of Art Beyond the Frame,” Smith describes one of her most interesting assignments involving the acquisition of a Monet for a client and through some quirky circumstances at a Sotheby’s auction, she was able to obtain a million-dollar Monet for well under the valued price. All of Smith’s tales are true, witty, poignant, intelligent, informative, sophisticated, and a fresh perspective of the often-mysterious world of art. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Sandhills, NC Branch.

Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at 4:00 PM (ET)

Churchill’s Citadel

Katherine Carter, longstanding curator of the Churchill family’s country home, will present her pivotal new account of Churchill’s activities during the 1930s, highlighting how Chartwell, his rural residence, became the epicenter of his anti-Nazi endeavors. During the 1930s, as Europe edged closer to conflict, Winston Churchill was politically sidelined. However, it was during this period that his home, Chartwell, in Kent, transformed into the command center for his crusade against the rise of Nazi Germany. He convened with esteemed colleagues and sources, such as Albert Einstein and T.E. Lawrence, who bolstered his efforts while he diligently warned of the looming war.

In her newly published book, Churchill’s Citadel: Chartwell and the Gatherings Before the Storm, Carter narrates the compelling tale of these significant yet obscure gatherings at Chartwell. She introduces an intriguing ensemble of individuals—from renowned figures to political heavyweights, envoys to intelligence agents—who influenced Churchill’s insights and tactical approach. Utilizing Chartwell as his stronghold, Churchill collected critical information on Germany’s militaristic advancements, positioning himself to alter history’s trajectory.

This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Charlottesville, VA Branch.