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Vistas Lifelong Learning
  • Welcome
  • About Vistas
    • About
    • Board of Directors
    • Curriculum Committee
  • Membership
    • Join Vistas
  • Vistas Calendar
  • Courses and Programs
    • Current Courses
    • Book Clubs
    • Course Videos
    • How to Register
    • Past Courses
    • Become a Presenter
  • Donate
  • FAQ
  • Contact

Past Vistas Courses and Events


2024-2025 Courses

Bringing Back Our Wetland:Environmental Restoration on a Grand Scale
Presented by Michael Love and Lisa Stratton

Uncovering the Propositions on the Fall 2024 Ballot
Presented by Ted Anagnoson

The Supreme Court 2023–24: Blockbuster Decisions with Enormous Implications
Presented by Stan Roden

Your Remarkable Immune System
Presented by Bruce Phillips

Pundits, Polls, and Politics: The 2024 Election
Presented by Douglas Stowell

French Art of the 19th Century: A Window into the Past
Presented by Lori Windsor Mohr

Comparative Study of the World’s Major Religions
Presented by Pastor Chuck Burwell

Washington Is Hollywood for Ugly People: From Movie Sets to the White House: Highlights from a Reporter’s 44-Year Career
Presented by Martin Kasindorf

Opera Italian Style
Presented by Bob Weinman

The FBI—Past, Present, and Future
Presented by Tom Parker

Seeing Rock Art through the Eyes of the Elders
Presented by David Lee

The Power of Justice
Presented by Jason Dominguez

Birds: Keys to Flight
Presented by Steve Johnson

Post-Election Analysis: Why Did the Winner Win?
Presented by Ted Anagnoson

Border Wars: From Mayhem to Mindfulness
Presented by Nicholas Stein

Extending Healthy Lifespan: Promises and Societal Challenges of Longevity Science
Presented by Dr. Joel Rothman

Diving into Santa Barbara: The Evolution of Underwater Technology
Presented by Don Barthelmess

Contrary Warrior: The Life and Times of Adam Fortunate Eagle
Presented by John Ferry and Grace De Soto

Sleep, Consciousness, and Non-Ordinary States: From Culture to Neuroscience
Presented by Danny Lewin

A Plan(e)t Worth Saving: How S. B. Botanic Garden Is Supporting All Life through Native Plants
Presented by Steve Windhager


2023-2024 Courses

The Immigration Conundrum
Presented by Josie Gonzalez

Celebrating 100 Years of the Granada Theatre
Presented by Susan Miles Gulbransen and Joan Rutkowski

13,000 Years of Local Maritime History and Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area
Presented by Greg Gorga and Holly Lohuis

From Frasier to Star Trek…and Beyond! The Magic Behind Television Music
Presented by David Grossman

Art-Body-Context
Presented by Belle Michael

The Golden Age of the Broadway Musical
Presented by Bob Weinman

Sinkable: Adventures with Shipwrecks
Presented by Daniel Stone

Will China (Still) Eat Our Lunch?: How Best to Deal With a Rising Superpower
Presented by Rich Appelbaum and Denis Simon

String Quartets in the Vienna of Beethoven and Schubert
Presented by Derek Katz

The American Folk Music Revival of the 20th Century
Presented by Norm Cohen

Heroes & Rogues, Series 5: The Explorer, the Dancer, and the G-Man
Presented by: Laurie Guitteau, Ted Anagnoson, Jane and David DeSelm, and Sue Mellor

Conserving the Gaviota Coast, In Pictures and Stories
Presented by Phil McKenna

The Lafayette Escadrille and The Millionaires’ Unit
Presented by Darroch Greer

The Climate Crisis: Where We Are, What to Expect, What We Can Do
Presented by Karl Hutterer, Charles Feinstein, Stan Roden

Whose Land is it, Anyway?
Presented by David Bisno

The Five Good Emperors
Presented by Daniel DeSelm

Field Trip to The Hermitage

The Hapsburgs
Presented by Jim Hemmer

Legendary Lovers in Opera
Presented by Simon Williams

Not Just a Pretty Place: The Science Behind the SB Botanic Garden
Presented by Steve Windhager

The SB Civil Grand Jury: The Public’s Watchdog
Presented by Stan Roden

Women Architects of Santa Barbara
Presented by Rose Thomas

Human Trafficking: What Is It, Where Does it Happen, and How do we Stop it?
Presented by Florrie R. Burke

”The Opulent Summer” Mural
Presented by Charlene G. Garfinkle

Pomp, Power, and Propaganda: Chuch Music in the 16th Century
Presented by Henry Michaels

The Making of Sitting Bull: A Ston in My Heart
Presented by John Ferry and Grace De Soto

From Qadhafi’s Rise to Saddam’s Fall: My 35 Years in the CIA
Presented by Heidi August

Where in the World is the U.S.? A Top-Ten Summary
Presented by Douglas Stowell

From the Epic of Gilgamesh to the King James Version: The History and Development of the Bible
Presented by Norm Cohen

Pirates!
Presented by Peter Beuret

The Nature of Time
Presented by Jim Hemmer

Money in America’s Political System
Presented by Ted Anagnoson

Rethinking Obesity
Presented by Fima Lifshitz, M.D.

Women Behind Walls
Presented by Bee Bloeser

Legendary Foods of Italy and France
Presented by Larry Canepa

The Impact of the Railroads on American Music: Folk, Country, Blues, Religious, and Classical
Presented by Norm Cohen

Flight: The Ups and Downs of Aviation
Presented by Bruce Phillips


2022-2023 Courses

Water in Santa Barbara County: Challenges and Opportunities
Presented by Matt Young and Charles Hamilton

The U.S. and China: The Two A.I. Superpowers
Presented by Jim Hemmer

Joseph Haydn: From Court to City
Presented by Derek Katz

Humans that Drove the Computer Revolution
Presented by Jim Ingraham

The Allure of Fascism Here and Abroad
Presented by David Bisno

Shakespearean History Plays
Presented by Mark Rose

Sending Smallpox into History: Life Behind the Scenes of the Historic Campaign
Presented by Bee Bloeser

Annual Short Story Discussion Group
Presented by Denny Klos

Rodgers and Hammerstein
Presented by Bob Weinman

Criminal Law and Procedure
Presented by Patrick McKinley

Sleep, Consciousness, and Non-Ordinary States: From Culture to Neuroscience
Presented by Dan Lewin

The Creative Artist in Opera
Presented by Simon Williams

The Four Great Ages of Western Civilization
Presented by Jim Hemmer

Future Perfect
Presented by Douglas W. Stowell

A Journey to Jordan
Presented by David DeSelm

Fellini Films
Presented by Mort Weisman

Post-Election Analysis
Presented by Ted Anagnoson

Beyond Impressionism
Presented by Lori Windsor Mohr

Our Moon— What Would We Do Without It?
Presented by Peter Beuret

Food in History
Presented by Chef Larry Canepa

Casa del Herrero, the House of the Blacksmith
Presented by David DeSelm and Pat Sheppard

Poliomyelitis Vaccinations: The Real Story
Presented by Bruce Phillips

Exodus for Atheists: The Bible and History
Presented by Norm Cohen

Propositions on the California Ballot
Presented by Ted Anagnoson

Puccini’s Tosca
Presented by Bob Weinman


2021-2022 Courses

The Frayed American Social Safety Net
Presented by Ted Anagnoson

Civil Unrest in the 1960s
Presented by Robert Benham

Carmen and the Consequences
Presented by Simon Williams

Santa Barbara and Our Courthouse: A Distinctive City and a One-of-a-Kinda Building
Presented by David DeSelm

God Save this Honorable Court
Presented by David Bisno

Why Do We Have Financial Crises?
Presented by Peter Naylor

Vincent Van Gogh: Beyond the Myth
Presented by Lori Windsor Mohr

Shakespearean Comedy
Presented by Mark Rose

Annual Short Story Discussion Group
Presented by Denny Klos

Constantine the Great and the Rise of the Christian Church
Presented by Daniel DeSelm

Demonic Violinists and Duels
Presented by Derek Katz

Lise Meitner’s Discovery of Nuclear Fission
Presented by David Bisno

Heroes and Rogues: Fourth Series
Presented by Gerry Corrigan

Cole Porter— A Great American Songwriter
Presented by Bob Weinman

Origins and Adventures in American Agriculture
Presented by Daniel Stone

The Mother-Daughter Relationship
Presented by Denny Klos

American Criminal Law and Procedure
Presented by Patrick McKinley

The Story Behind Bellosguardo
Presented by John Ummel

Origins of Proto-Indo-European Language
Presented by Jim Hemmer

Important Economic Issues
Presented by Peter Naylor

Great American Waterways
Presented by Jim Hemmer

Humanity’s Relationship with Food, Past, Present and Future
Presented by Larry Canepa

Short History of Cryptography
Presented by Richard Norwood

James Baldwin: In His Own Words
Presented by Denny Klos

COVID Fall 2021 Update
Presented by Dr. Phillips

The Coronavirus Crisis
Presented by Dr. Bruce Phillips


2019 - 2020

Spirituals, Dance Bands, and Hot Solos: African-American Musicians in the Early 20th Century
Presented by Derek Katz

The U.S. and China: The Two A.I. Superpowers
Presented by Jim Hemmer

Nonfiction Book Club

Documentary Film Club

A Trip to Opera Santa Barbara: Il Postino

Annual Short Story Discussion Group
Coordinated by Denny Klos

A Trip to the Theater Group at Santa Barbara City College: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

My Free Speech in My Front Yard but Your Church in My Back Yard?
Presented by David Bisno

Donizetti’s Three Queens
Presented by Simon Williams

“Things About Santa Barbara’s Past I Never Knew!”
Presented by John Ummel

The Scientific Revolution
Presented by Dick Norwood

All Politics Are Local: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly of Local Government Decision-Making in California
Presented by Jason Dominguez

Lesser Known Heroes and Rogues (Second Series)
Coordinated by Gerry Corrigan

Winter Social

The Golden Age of the Hollywood Musical
Presented by Bob Weinman

The Evolution of Japanese Gardens in Japan and America
Presented by Kendall Brown

EVERYBODY COMES TO RICK’S: WWII Émigrés and American Cinema
Presente by Mort Weisman

A Trip to Opera Santa Barbara:  Madama Butterfly

Intimacy Across the Lifespan
Presented by Denny Klos

The Imperial Presidency
Presented by Ted Anagnoson

The Labors of Operatic Love
Presented by Bob Weinman

Our Santa Barbara Courthouse: A One-of-a-Kind Building
Presented by David DeSelm

A Trip to Ensemble Theater Co.: Measure for Measure

Our Treasures Offshore: The Santa Barbara Channel Islands
Coordinated by Sue Mellor

Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure
Presented by Jinny Webber

A Roadmap for Successful Choices at the End of Life
Coordinated by Diane Wolf


2018 - 2019

Winter Spring Catalog 2019

Fall 2018 Catalog

February 21, 2019
Marathon The Patriots Day Bombing

March 21, 2019
Citizen Four

April 18, 2019
Waste Land

May 16, 2019
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail

June 20, 2019
The Address

DOCUMENTARY FILM CLUB SERIES

September 20, 2018
The Salt of the Earth

October 18, 2018
Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story

November 15, 2018
Dinosaur 13

December 20, 2018
California Typewriter

January 17, 2019
Merchants of Doubt


13,000 YEARS OF LOCAL MARITIME HISTORY
Presented by Greg Gorga

THE SCIENCE AND ART OF "SLEEP-CLOCK" AND SLEEPING
Presented by Dr. Daniel Lewin

MEMORY LANE: A GUIDED WRITING EXPEDITION
Presented by Allison Grosfield

BUILDING A BOTANICAL NIRVANA: THE STORY OF LOTUSLAND
Presented by Rose Thomas, Paul Mills, and Corey Welles

BEAUTY, SEX, AND EVOLUTION: DARWIN'S THEORY OF SEXUAL SELECTION
Presented by Karl Hutterer

EUROPEAN MUSICIANS AND AMERICAN MONEY: ÉMIGRÉ MUSICIANS IN INTERWAR AMERICA
Presented by Derek Katz

KIPLING: POET OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE
Presented by John Ledlie

TEN KEY TURNING POINTS IN THE HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION
Presented by Jim Hemmer

IS THIS HOW FASCISM COMES TO AMERICA?
Presented by David Bisno

ANNUAL SHORT STORY DISCUSSION GROUP
Coordinated by Gene Waller

GOD SAVE THIS HONORABLE COURT AND COUNTRY AN UPDATE
Presented by David Bisno

A TRIP TO ENSEMBLE THEATER: DEATH OF A SALESMAN
Coordinated by Barbara Margerum

RICHARD WAGNER: THE MAN AND THE MUSIC
Presented by Simon Williams

LET'S TALK ART
Presented by Shirley Waxman & Mary Eckhart

WINTER SOCIAL

LESSER-KNOWN HEROES, ROGUES
Presented/Coordinated by Gerry Corrigan

SANTA BARBARA HISTORY ALONG THE WATERFRONT
Presented by John Ummel

WHAT THE MOVIES DIDN'T TELL US ABOUT WWII !
Coordinated by Barbara Krahn

FROM LIFE TO LITERATURE TO OPERA: THE OPERA SANTA BARBARA 2018-19 SEASON
Presented by Bob Weinman

THE CREATIVE HEART IN ACTION
Presented by Paul Kaufman

INTRODUCING AFRICAN ART: FIVE ICONIC THEMES
Presented by Herbert M. (Skip) Cole

HAMILTON: THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE MUSICAL
Presented by George Frakes

THE INITIATIVE/REFERENDUM PROCESS, PROPOSITIONS ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT,
AND THE UNIQUENESS OF CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT AND POLICY

Presented by Ted Anagnoson

WRITTEN, PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY POWELL AND PRESSBURGER
Presented by Judy & Mort Weisman

HEY SANTA BARBARA! GOT DRINKING WATER?!
Presented by Charles Hamilton

VISTAS ANNUAL FALL PICNIC


2017 - 2018

Winter Spring Catalog 2018

Fall Catalog 2017

Documentary Film Club

Nonfiction Book Club

Annual Fall Picnic



The Hollywood Musical Returns!
Presented by Bob Weinman

 

Tunisia - From Hannibal to the Arab Spring
Presented by David & Jane DeSelm

 

Women and The Civil War - and After
Presented by Sarah Case

 

Ludwig van Beethoven: Patrons, Players and Posterity
Presented by Derek Katz

 

Raymond Spruance, the Quiet Warrior
Presented by Mort Weisman

 

Why is the sky blue?: The joy of finding things out
Presented by Phil Sokolove

 

The Science and Art of 'Sleep-Clock,' and Sleeping
Presented by Dr. Daniel Lewin

 

Annual Short Stories
Coordinated by Gene Waller

 

The Narrative: We Tell Stories to Live
Presented by Sandy Jones

 

An Afternoon at The opera: Barber of Seville
Coordinated by Doris Frey

 

About the Barber of Seville
Presented by Bob Weinman

 

Liberty in the land of Trump
Presented by David Bisno

 

Poetry as The Language of The Heart
Presented by Perie Longo

 

Writing Historical Fiction: Art, Craft, or Obsession?
Presented by N. Frankel and S. Edwards

 

Healthcare Beyond Bacteria: Other Factors in Illness and Health
Presented by Dennis Murphy

 

 Winter Social

 

Why Women do the housework: The Industrial Revolution
Presented by Dick Norwood

 

Civil Unrest in the 1960's
Presented by Robert Benham

 

Hamilton: The Man, the Myth, the Musical - Study Group
Coordinated by George Frakes

 

Climate Change Denial: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Presented by Karl Hutterer & Ted Anagnoson

 

The Role of Wine in Cultures Past and Present
Presented by Rani Mclean

 

Socialism in the US After Trump?
Presented by Al Lindemann

 

American Freedom Train
Presented by Barry Howard

 

The Story of Manon
Presented by Bob Weinman

 

Mental Illness: Why Should I Care?
Presented by George Kaufmann

 

Public Policy Problems Arising from the Changing Arctic
Presented by Ted Anagnoson

 

Three Artistic Eras: From Ancient Greece to Europe's Artistic Revolution
Presented by: Mary Winder, Shirley Waxman & Kathryn Padgett

 

The British Nabobs and Memsahibs: The British in india
Presented by: John Ledlie & Sharon Alvarado

 

Annual Fall Picnic


2016 - 2017 Season

 

Documentary Film Club

 

The Art of Bel Canto and Donizetti's: Elixir of Love
Presented by Bob Weinman

 

Nuclear Weaponry and the Human Future
Presented by David Krieger

 

Nation Building in Post-Colonial Africa: Three Case Studies
Coordinated by Gerry Corrigan

 

Presenters Workshop
Presented by Ted Anagnoson

 

Mental Illness Touches Everyone
Presented by Darcy Keep

 

Every Day Life in a small village in rural New England in the 1830's - Sturbridge Village Depicted
Presented by Peter Searl

 

David Wiesner and the Art of Wordless Storytelling
Presented by Wendi Hunter

 

Orchestras and Orchestral Music from the Courts to the Concert Stage
Presented by Derek Katz

 

The Johann Strauss Family - Their History and Music
Presented by Dr. David Bisno

 

Lewis Carroll
Presented by Peter Beuret

 

Short Stories
Coordinated by Gene Waller

 

Nikola Tesla
Presented by Mort Weisman

 

What are Your Grandchildren Learning and does it Differ From What You Learned?
Presented by Ann Lewin-Benham

 

The Hollywood Musicals
Presented by Bob Weinman

 

The Best Bible Translation For Me
Presented by Tremper Longman

 

History of Western Medicine - Monthly Study Group
Led by Dr. Bryan Johnson

  

Survival in South Africa under Apartheid Neville D. Frankel
Presented by Neville Frankel

 

Winter Social

 

The Science of Climate Change
Presented by Dr. Karl Hutterer

 

How to Hide Your Affair: A Short History of Cryptography
Presented by Dick Norwood

 

A History of Laughing and Crying
Presented by Thomas Scheff

 

Eleanor Roosevelt and Her Contemporaries
Presented by Sarah Case

 

Post Election Analysis: The Meaning and Implications fo the November 2016 Elections
Presented by Ted Anagnoson

 

LGBT
Presented by Marian Shapiro

 

CARMEN
Opera Santa Barbara

 

Brazil's Economic and Political Crisis
Presented by Sam Flowers

 

Poetry and Metaphor
Presented by Peter Karoff

 

Trials of The Century
Presented by Al Lindemann

 

 The Initiative/Referendum Process and the Propositions on the Ballot November 2016
Presented by Ted Anagnoson

 

Witchcraft and Evil in Shakespeare’s Macbeth
Presented by Jinny Webber

 

A Cinematographic View of American Elections
Presented by: Mort & Judy Weisman


2015 - 2016 Season

Documentary Film Club

Write About Your Life
Presented by Allison Grosfield

Africa
Coordinated by Gerry Corrigan

Opera
Presented by Derek Katz

Kindertransport
Presented by Mike Wolff

Europe in Crisis: Refugees, the Euro and the Floundering European Union
Presented by Paul Warwick

Catherine The Great
Organized by Barbara Margerum

Strategic Architectures of Victory & Defeat - Part 2
Presented by John Caldwell

Short Stories
Coordinated by Gene Waller

Race to the poles
Presented by David Bisno

Serving on the Grand Jury
Presented by: Maria Millsaps, Foreperson, Mary Flink, and Andy Brown

Visual Art & Poetry
Presented by Perie Longo & Barbara Cadario

An Afternoon at the opera
Organized by Doris Frey

Systems (Insurers & Governments) and Individuals (patients and physicians)
Presented by Dennis Murphy

Campaign Finance and Political Polarization - Sources, Evidence, and Implications
Presented by Ted Anagnoson

Women's Politics in the Early Twentieth Centry U.S.
Presented by Sarah Case

Silent Suffering in the Old Testament
Presented by Tremper Longman

Strategic Architectures of Victory & Defeat - WWII, Korea, Vietnam & Iraq Part 1
Presented by John Caldwell

How to Present at VISTAS and How to Develop a VISTAS Course
Presented by Ted Anagnoson and panel of experts

The First Transcontinental Railroad - Connecting the East to the West in the 1860's
Organized by Barbara Krahn

Damming the Colorado
Presented by Dick Norwood

Electing Presidents: Great Elections in American History
Presented by Jay Carlander

The Wright Brothers
Presented by Peter Kruse & Mort Weiseman

CRISES IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Presented by Don O'Dowd

Stalin and Hitler and Power and Evil in Modern History
Presented by Al Lindemann

Tour Santa Barbara Hermitage

Forgiveness
Presented by Barbara Katz

The Aztecs
Presented by Russell Werner

Legal Issues for Seniors
Presented by Peter Kruse

Our Moon
Presented by Peter Beuret 


2014 - 2015 Season

British Africa
Organized by Gerry Corrigan

Write About Your life
Presented by Allison Grosfield

Hospice
Coordinated by Diane Wolf

Hidden in Plain Sight: Banned Composers in Nazi Germany
Presented by Derek Katz

Vichy France 1940 - 1945
Presented by Nick DiNapoli

The Western Mirror: California and the American Civil War
Presented by Jay Carlander

Theodore Rosevelt
Presented by Peter Kruse

The Second Gutenberg Revolution: The Internet and the Digital Future
Presented by Micheal Gilbert

The Economics of Climate Change
Presented by David King

Pharmacology
Presented by Barbara Cadario and Rania Shenoda

Short Story - Small Seminar
Organized by Gene Waller

Roadmap for Successful Choices at The End of Life
Coordinated by Diane Wolf and Jan O'Dowd

The World of Yesterday
Presented by Dr. David Bisno

The Power of Cornography: How Corn Built America
Presented by Betty Fussell

Small Group Seminars
Reflections on Womens Liberation

Trails That Opened the West
Coordinated by Barbara Krahn

Uncertain Justice
Presented by Dr. David Bisno

Preparing The Presenter 2015: An Introduction to Course Design and Session Presentation Issues
Presented by Ted Anagnoson and a panel of past presenters and organizers

Abraham
Presented by Tremper Longman

Pacific Coastal Fish
Presented by Dr. Milton Love

Argentina & Peron
Presented by Fred Sidon

History of Hawaii
Presented by Peter Searl

The Life of Amelia Earhart, and the Search After Her Disappearance
Presented by Nick DiNapoli

Women In Art
Presented by Wayne Hoffman

Military Sexual Assault
Presented by Sara Zak

Initiatives on the November 2014 Ballot
Presented by Ted Anagnoson

Maya Classic Period
Presented by Russell Werner

The Paradigm Shift in Understanding Shakespeare
Presented by: Helen Heightsman Gordon 


2013 - 2014 Season

The Wit & Wisdom of Woody Allen
presented by Bob Weinman

Arroyo Hondo Nature Preserve
Organized by Sue Mellor & Don Gillies

Write About Your Life
Presented by Allison Grosfield

The Biblical Book of Psalms
Presented by Tremper Longman

A Look Back at the Vietnam War
Organized by: George Ittner

Shostakovich: Music & Politics in the Soviet Union
Presented by: Derek Katz

Ottoman Empire
Presented by: Steve Humphreys

Our MOON! - What would we do without it?
Presented by: Peter Beuret

Great Explorers
Organized by Gerry Corrigan

Short Stories
Organized by Gene Waller

God, Guns, Gays, Sex, Privacy & Edward Snowden
Presented by David Bisno, M.D.

Darwin
Presented by Dr. Floyd Sandford

Longevity - Small Discussion Group
Organized by Jan O'Dowd

Medical Ethics
Presented by Dennis Murphy, M.D.

The American South Through Classic Movies
Presented by Bob Fulmer

Preparing The Presenter
Presented by Ted Anagnoson and Panel

China's Wings - Part Three
Presented by Nick DiNapoli

Disaster Relief
Presented by Ted Anagnoson

Polish Your Apple
Shirley Diamond - Coordinator

Santa Barbara Movers and Shakers
Sue Mellor - Coordinator

 

The genesis of the class was the book California’s Knight on a Golden Horse; Dwight Murphy, Santa Barbara’s Renaissance Man by Ed Hartfeld. Ed generously passed out free copies of this book to all interested members at our picnic and the class. Even though his presentation on the modest and philanthropic Dwight Murphy was at the last session, it was of prime significance.

Kathi Brewster suggested several other speakers and shared the results of her historical research on a parade of women who broke paths in medicine, education, architecture, etc. 

Patricia Kruse impersonated her ancestor for us, Maria Leyva de Bonilla, a midwife who lived adjacent to the Presidio in the 19th century. 

Dr. Barbara Lindemann had produced a DVD about Pearl Chase and shared it in one of our classes.

Virginia Hayes, curator at Lotus Land, came to tell us about the embellishment of our community by the leading early horticulturalists. 

Jeremy Hass talked about the early times in Santa Barbara and the colorful character of Joseph Chapman; he also painted a broad picture of Spanish culture in the early 1800's. Phil Wilcox went out of his usual mold to research and tell us of his personal connection with Thomas M. Stork. 

Dr. Allison Wollitzer told us how William D. Sansum attracted so many people of wealth and vision with his treatment for diabetes.

Charlie Schneider was a natural to tell us about the founder of Union Carbide, George Owen Knapp, and his local contributions. 

JJ Hollister topped off a great class with a first person account of his family's history as ranchers and city builders.

 

China's Wings

Presented by Nick DiNapoli


2012 - 2013 Season

 Memories of the Italian Resistance
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
Lectures In Geology
Current Controversies at the supreme Court
Ancient Bible
Folk Music
Citizens of London
Lady in Gold
Health Care Ethics
Shakespeare Debate
Commanding Heights: The Battle for the world economy
The World's Great Religions
Imperial Presidency
Appoggiatura
The Mystique of Sailing round The Horn
Contemporary American poetry
Election 2012
Initiatives
North American indian Tribes
Astronomy
Fall Picnic
Bridge

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2011-2012 Season
Africa
Harvard Justice
Italy
Political Parties
Violin Making
Why Democracy
Health Ethics
Beautiful Music
Wisdom
Figaro
Pirates! From Treasure island to Somalia