Garry Wills opens Declaration of Independence Exhibit

A rare, original copy of the Declaration of Independence will be at the Gerald R. Ford Museum beginning July 11, and author and historian Garry Wills will speak opening night. Grand Valley's Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, in partnership with the Ford Museum and the Ford Foundation, is bringing Wills to Grand Rapids for an entertaining and informative evening surrounding this extraordinary exhibit.

Wills' talk, The Declaration: Still Jefferson's Proudest Boast, is free and open to the public. Wills says some people have recently belittled the importance of the Declaration of Independence, but without solid reasoning. He will provide context to this historic document.

Wills is the author of numerous books, including the Pulitzer Prize winning Lincoln at Gettysburg. He has written books on many U.S. presidents, including Jefferson, Madison, Nixon and Reagan. He studied in a Jesuit seminary with the intention of becoming a priest. He did not enter the priesthood, but he has written extensively on the Catholic Church. Wills' Papal Sin was a New York Times bestseller and has been the subject of much debate.

Wills is a regular contributor to the New York Review of Books and has won many awards, among them two National Book Critics Circle Awards. In 1998 he won the National Medal for Humanities in recognition of his lifetime achievements in the humanities. Wills earned a doctorate in classics from Yale University and currently is an adjunct professor of history at Northwestern University.

Event Details:
Garry Wills
The Declaration: Still Jefferson's Proudest Boast
July 11, 2003 8 p.m.
Gerald R. Ford Museum
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Following Wills' talk, the Ford Museum will remain open to all guests. Desserts, coffee, tea and other light refreshments will be available in the museum lobby. Wills will sign copies of his books.

The Declaration of Independence will leave the Ford Museum for one day and travel to Grand Valley's Allendale campus. Get ready for a wonderful, free community event and picnic on the evening of July 23. More details on this Hauenstein Center patriotic summer event will follow soon.