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The 2024 election has drawn to its historic conclusion. In that spirit, the life and times of former Dayton Mayor and U.S. Congressman Edward Grimes Breen is being shared by his son, Edward Focke Breen. Breen tells the astonishing story of one man, his father, and his family who went from hardworking immigrants to wealth and political power. It is a cultural history of America from the mid -19th through the mid-20th centuries. Breen retells stories of personal interactions his father had with luminaries such as Ohio Gov. James M. Cox, aviator Amelia Earhart, Presidents Warren Harding and Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, the youngest Miss America and other interesting historical and political figures of the times. Edward G. Breen lived a storied life. Edward Focke Breen is a born storyteller and has so many fascinating historical stories to share about political life in his father’s time.
Edward Focke Breen is the author of the book “Lucky Eddie: The Life, Times and Family of Former U.S. Congressman, Edward G. Breen.” Breen is an Ohio native and schoolteacher who has spent a lifetime traveling in Europe, North Africa, and the Americas. A graduate of Capital University who has done post graduate work at Antioch University, he is married to Catherine Taylor, a writer and former magazine editor. They and their two sons live in Kettering, Ohio and spend summers at their home in coastal Maine.
This is an opportunity that our membership should not miss. Ed is a fascinating speaker and will share stories about not only his father but also other Oakwood residents from his dad's time. This will be his final presentation in the Far Hills Speaker Series.
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Presented by Mark Risley. More details are forthcoming.
Register to attend virtually through Wright Library
Presented by Roberta Beyer from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources about the Oldtown area, which hosts Ohio's newest State Park, Great Council State Park. More details are forthcoming.
Register to attend virtually through Wright Library
Presented by Jimmie Leach. Accompanying examples of the great musicians' music will be played. More details are forthcoming.
Register to attend virtually through Wright Library
1841 brought about the establishment of Woodland Cemetery, located on the “out-skirts of Dayton”. Since then, Woodland Cemetery has become the final resting place for many Oakwood notables including John Patterson, the Wright Brothers, Colonel Edward Deeds and many other well-known Oakwood citizens. Each of these individuals has had significant impact to our community and to the world. This presentation will highlight Oakwood notables interred in Woodland as well as provide a brief history of these individuals as we take a virtual tour of the cemetery.
David Schmidt, Phd. has a passion for the local history of our region. He grew up in Kettering and has made multiple presentations to the Oakwood Historical Society. David has also researched, developed and teaches Oakwood 101, a comprehensive history of Oakwood through the Oakwood Historical Society. David earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Geological Sciences at The Ohio State University in 2006. In 1999 and 2001, respectively, he received a B.S. and M.S. from the Department of Geological Sciences at Wright State University. Dr. Schmidt serves WSU as its Director of Undergraduate Programs in Earth and Environmental Sciences at Brehm Lab. His teaching involves classes in Environmental Science and Society, Earth Systems, and Process Geomorphology.
Wright Memorial Library has posted a recording of the presentation
Register to attend virtually through Wright Library
On September 2, 1945, Japan surrendered on the decks of the USS Missouri ending World War II in the Pacific. Seventy-Nine years later, first-hand accounts of Dayton area veterans, their stories, and the impact WW II made on their lives are becoming rare. About 119,000 WW II veterans are still alive today out of approximately 16 million men and women who served during WWII. But what is more shocking is how often we are losing these WWII veterans. It is estimated that each day, 131 of the remaining WWII veterans die. As we lose World War II veterans at a strikingly rapid rate their stories become even more precious. Ken will share the firsthand accounts as told to him by Pacific Theater veterans - their stories of endurance, survival, courage, and sacrifice made in the name of our country and our freedom as they bravely served in the Pacific. Ken will share stories that might have gone undocumented but are now documented and can be shared for generations to come.
Author and Tipp City resident Ken Serey has a longstanding involvement and commitment to veterans. The child of a World War II veteran, Serey has long had an interest in war stories. While working for Visual Tech Connection, which specializes in helping people with poor vision, Serey met seniors connected to the war as he traveled for work throughout Ohio. He realized their stories deserved to be written and preserved, so when he retired, he got to work. The veterans’ stories in his book “What’s the Story?” are documented accounts and tell what it was like to be at war in the true sense. As Ken says, “It is very important to preserve these stories and to preserve this fading part of the historical record.”
Free admission and open to the public
Due to limited parking, visitors are encouraged to park on side streets, enjoy a summer's walk, or bike to the homestead.