Distinguished Speaker Series

Larson is a master of narrative non-fiction. His vividly written books have won several awards and been published worldwide. “Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania,” about the 1915 sinking of the ocean liner Lusitania, was No. 1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. “In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin” is a vivid portrait of the American ambassador and his family in Berlin during the first years of Hitler’s reign from which Larson has crafted a gripping, deeply intimate narrative. His critically acclaimed book “The Devil in the White City” intertwines the stories of the Chicago 1893 World’s Fair and one of America’s worst serial killers. It remained on the New York Times best-seller lists for a combined total of more than six years, won an Edgar Award for nonfiction crime writing, was nominated for the National Book Award, and was voted one of the 125 most important books of the last 125 years by the New York Public Library. Together, his books have sold more than 9 million copies worldwide.

Erik Larson graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied Russian history, language and culture. He also received a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. After a brief stint at the Bucks County Courier Times, Larson became a staff writer for The Wall Street Journal, and later a contributing writer for Time magazine. He has written articles for The Atlantic, Harper’s, The New Yorker, and other publications.

Distinguished Speaker Series events, held every three years, are fundraisers for the History Center.

Sponsorships are available now!  For details on sponsorship opportunities, CLICK HERE! To reserve a sponsorship, DOWNLOAD A SPONSORSHIP PLEDGE FORM HERE.

Past Distinguished Speaker Series speakers

2002: David McCullough

2005: Former governors Tom Ridge and George Leader

2007: Doris Kearns Goodwin

2013: Jeff Shaara

2016: Jon Meacham

2019: H. W. Brands

2023: Erik Larson