The Gertrude Polk Brown Lecture Series – Awakening the Spirit
The Filson kicks off our 2026 Gertrude Polk Brown Lecture Series with Paul Sparrow discussing his latest work, Awakening the Spirit of America: FDR’s War of Words with Charles Lindbergh. This amazing new book brings to life a largely forgotten but crucial moment in American history where the very existence of our democracy hung in the balance. As the former director of the FDR Presidential Library, Mr. Sparrow brings expertise combined with captivating storytelling to illustrate the perils of the Lindbergh/FDR public opinion battle and how we can continue to learn lessons from events nearly 80 years later.
