REACH Speakers Bureau

For more than 100 years, starting around 1860, Cleveland was one of the great industrial cities of the United States. This course will examine the history of Cleveland's key industries including shipbuilding, oil refining, iron and steel production, machine tools, electrical apparatus, and automobiles.

In 1929, Cleveland was one of the largest, wealthiest, and most important cities in the United States. This course will take a look at what life was like for Clevelanders in 1929, when the city was at its peak.

From 1815 until today, Euclid Avenue has been Cleveland's Main Street. This course will examine the history of Euclid Avenue, from its origins at Public Square in 1815 through its years as Millionaire's Row, and as the home of Cleveland's greatest organizations, including Playhouse Square and University Circle.

A True American Original - The story of the beloved American chestnut: How vitally important it was to young America until, in the early 1900s, an aggressive fungal blight wiped it off the map from Maine to Mississippi. Today's valiant efforts to rescue it from extinction and restore it to our eastern forests.

The wild turkey, a true North American native, and the forgotten story of its critical role in the lives of native Americans and colonists alike. Its incredible comeback from near extinction during the past sixty years.

We explore the alarming decline in insect populations of all kinds worldwide in the past 40 years. What is driving this and what will be its ultimate impact on providing food for humans? What can we as individuals do to help sustain beneficial insects and multitudes of plants and animals that depend on the critical services they provide?

How I happened to meet Oswald and listen to his intriguing narrative about his recent sojourn in the Soviet Union. This occurred four months before the JFK assassination. My personal insights into Oswald�s motives tend to stand apart from those of thousands of �experts�, none of whom ever any personal contact with the man Oswald.

The unpredictable circumstances that brought me to Washington, D.C., and into personal contact with two branches of the former President�s family: Robert and Ethel Kennedy, Sargent and Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and their children. A retrospective of those families in the intervening years.

Cambridge, Ohio / Roads, Canals, Rails, and Heroes - The new State of Ohio (1803) was a nearly impenetrable wilderness. Within 20 years an explosion in transportation erupted, much of it intersecting at my hometown of Cambridge. By 1950, there was a thriving industrial corridor from Cambridge north through Canton and Akron to Cleveland. My narrative describes the fortuitous agglomeration of events that gave birth to the new era of progress and prosperity, as well as the unforeseen sociological factors that led to the boom's rapid decline starting in the 1970s.

The unbelievable voyage of the Mayflower by a determined minority group that never called themselves Pilgrims. Everything that conceivably could go wrong did go wrong with this foolhardy expedition. The fact that there were survivors is itself a token of hope.

Tale of how our family's Christmas celebration was thrown into chaos by the invasion of a brigade of uninvited guests - all traceable to our freshly cut evergreen tree.

Major Eras in Human History as Determined by Available Energy Sources. From 3500 BC to today.

Photosynthesis and the carbon cycle. How primitive green plants did a radical redo of the face of the planet as well as its atmosphere. Featured are the five simple chemical elements that are key to earthly life.

Water's very peculiar properties that have determined the uniqueness of our planet.

The delicate balancing act sustaining all of Earth�s major systems. Albedo effect & the Ice Ages. Ocean acidification & demise of shellfish. The impact of human population.

Fascinating story of the Colonists' quest for a dependable fuel source. How their isolated charcoal "furnaces" hidden in the forests made victory possible for the Colonies in their war for independence from the British crown. And how discovery of coal on the ridges of the eastern Pennsylvania mountains happened just as the charcoal industry was collapsing for lack of trees

The Sun, our primordial energy source, with limitless potential and sustainability. Much more than arrays of photovoltaic cells.

Behind-the-scenes scoop on the towering windmills that we see across the landscape. How much electrical power can they deliver? How big are they? What are they made of? What are their pros and; cons? And is it true that they are a waste disposal catastrophe just waiting to happen?

The twentieth century was dominated by two global wars. Uncover the roots of World War II in the "Great War". Gain an appreciation of the scope and major events of WWII in Europe and North Africa through timelines and maps. Discover the intentions of the leaders from both sides of the conflict.

Step into the high-stakes drama of the Battle of Britain, when the Royal Air Force faced off against the German Luftwaffe in a battle for survival. Meet the pilots and ground crew who protected Britain, and study Britain's innovative defense system.