Dr. Donald A. Ritchie to deliver Prichard Lecture

Dr. Donald A Ritchie

Dr. Donald A. Ritchie will deliver the UK Libraries 2015 Edward F. Prichard Lecture. He will speak on "Where Is Henry Clay Now That We Really Need Him? Political Compromise in an Uncompromising Era." The lecture will take place at 3 p.m. on September 24, 2015, in the UK Athletics Auditorium of William T. Young Library.

Dr. Ritchie is Historian Emeritus of the United States Senate. He graduated from the City College of New York and obtained a Ph.D. in history from the University of Maryland before joining the Senate Historical Office in 1976.  For the Senate he conducted oral history interviews, created exhibits and brochures, fielded reference questions from senators and the media, and prepared previously closed documents for publication, notably five volumes of the closed hearings of Senator Joseph R. McCarthy. 

He served as president of the Oral History Association and on the council of the American Historical Association, and has offered historical commentary on C-SPAN, NPR, and other networks.  His books include Doing Oral History: A Practical Guide; Press Gallery: Congress and the Washington Correspondents; Reporting from Washington: The History of the Washington Press Corps; Electing FDR: The New Deal Campaign of 1932; and The U.S. Congress: A Very Short Introduction.