World War II

10 16, 2020

The Connection between President Eisenhower & Gettysburg

By admin|2020-10-16T10:00:42-04:00October 16, 2020|

President Eisenhower had a special relationship with the town and famous battlefield of Gettysburg, going back to his days in Camp Colt. Learn about it here from Todd Arrington, the site directory for the James A. Garfield National Historic Site. (You can also learn about Arrington’s connection to both Gettysburg and Eisenhower.)

Our monthly Civil War series with James A. Garfield National Historic Site continues at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 18. The topic will be President Lincoln’s contentious and close reelection campaign of 1864. The talk will be hosted via Zoom. Registration is required. You can sign up online or call us at (440) 255-8811 ext. 247.

In the meantime, you can visit our YouTube channel for more programs on our nation’s history. We have lectures on both President Eisenhower and the Battle of Gettysburg that you can watch at your convenience.

07 8, 2020

Mentor Library’s Cold War series explores the crises of 1956

By admin|2020-07-08T06:00:18-04:00July 8, 2020|

Discover how the Cold War nearly came to a boiling point in 1956 during a special online program from Mentor Public Library.

Our resident historian Dr. John Foster will continue his series on the history of the Cold War during a special online program at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 23.

He’ll discuss a series of crises that all contributed to rising tensions globally, including the crushing of democracy in Hungary, the Suez Crisis, turbulence in Poland, and even the Montgomery bus boycott.

This program is free and open to all. It will be broadcast online using Zoom. Those who wish to watch can register on our online event calendar. This program will also be recorded and available for viewing at a future date on the our website, Facebook, and YouTube page.

This special program is the second in a 4-part series about the history of the Cold War. The first talk focused on the years after World War II and the rising tension that led to the Berlin Blockade. This talk can be viewed in its entirety on our website.

In addition to being a reference librarian, Foster has a doctorate degree in history. He has taught history at both high school and college levels. Previously, he has led series on the Battles of World War II, the American Revolution and US Presidents of the 20^th Century at the library.

02 23, 2020

Revisit the Battle of Midway

By admin|2020-02-23T06:00:56-05:00February 23, 2020|

In four minutes, the trajectory of World War II and the fate of the Pacific changed during the Battle of Midway.

Our resident historian, Dr. John Foster, tells the story of the battle and of the incredible heroism of the sailors and naval aviators who achieved victory that day.

In addition to being a reference librarian, Foster has a doctorate degree in history. He has taught history at both high school and college levels. Previously, he has led series on the Battles of World War II, US Presidents of the 20th Century, and the Revolutionary War at our library.

07 1, 2019

The Untold Stories of Mentor, Ohio, with Thomas Matowitz

By admin|2019-07-01T06:00:03-04:00July 1, 2019|

Thomas Matowitz, the author and local historian who literally wrote the book one Mentor, Ohio, returned to the library to share some of his best stories.

Matowitz is the perfect person to discuss prominent Mentor families like the Garfields, landmarks like the Wildwood Estate, and more. But he also has a mindful of spectacular Mentor stories that nearly nobody else knows, including:

Mentor’s only Congressional Medal of Honor recipient
the most fatal day in Mentor’s history
the tale of the WWII pilot from Mentor who is buried in Normandy.

For more from Matowitz:

Speaking of history, you can also join us for our 200th anniversary party at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 12, on our Main Branch lawn. Help make a community mosaic of Mentor with Gail Christofferson of Animal House Glass.

Also, Tom Todd, the Amazing One Man Band, will perform from 6 to 7 pm. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets, sit back and enjoy a little bit of Jimmy Buffett. We will also have cake and contests. All are welcome and no registration is required for our party.

01 27, 2019

International Holocaust Remembrance Day: The Infamous Auschwitz

By admin|2019-01-27T06:00:14-05:00January 27, 2019|

Each year, our resident historian Dr. John Foster hosts a special program for International Holocaust Day.

In past years, he’s discussed the Nuremberg Trials, rise of National Socialism in Germany, and origins of the Nazi’s Final Solution.

This year, his topic was Auschwitz, the most notorious of Nazi Germany’s death camps. He discussed its grisly purpose, some of its most famous survivors, and the overwhelming evidence that it served as a death camp.

By the way, each year Foster gives a series of lectures about American history. His previous topics include the Battles of World War II and US Presidents of the 20th Century. This year, he’ll discuss the American Revolution.

The series begins at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 21, at our Main Branch. The topic is the origins of the Revolution.

Finally, if you’re interested, most of Foster’s previous historical talks can be viewed in their entirety on our YouTube channel.

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