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Speaker's Bureau
Let us come to you! Do you need a speaker for your group or event? The Buffalo Presidential Center has assembled a team of experts who are able to discuss a wide variety of historical and presidential topics. Scroll to see a list of our presentations.
If you would like to schedule someone to visit your group or event, please email the speaker using the red links below.
Speaker: Dr. Linda Czuba Brigance Linda.brigance@fredonia.edu
Professor Emeritus SUNY Fredonia; Trustee, Buffalo Presidential Center
The Hands That Rocked the Cradles:
Mothers of U.S. Presidents
There have been 45 mothers of U.S. presidents and more if we add in stepmothers. Most of us don’t know much about the women called “mother” by our presidents. Learn the stories of mothers of the five presidents with connections to Western New York: Millard Fillmore, Abraham Lincoln, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.
Speaker: John Fagant
Author; Explore Buffalo Master Docent; historian; retired chemist; Trustee, Buffalo Presidential Center
Buffalo Anti-slavery Party Conventions (1840s)
Court House Park (now Lafayette Square) has been the location for two of the most significant political third-party conventions in the history of American abolitionism. The Liberty Party, followed a few years later by the Free-Soil Party, chose Buffalo to host their dramatic attempts to change forever the pro-slavery dominance of the nation’s politics.
Fillmore and the
Compromise of 1850
The 13th President, Millard Fillmore, signed and attempted to enforce the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law as part of the Compromise of 1850. He was much maligned in the North for doing so. Let’s review Fillmore’s political career both before and during his presidency and see if the criticism is deserved.
The End of American Slavery (1860 – 1865)
Although Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation did not free all the enslaved, its significance will be discussed as well as state abolition, military emancipation and the 13th Amendment.
The Lincoln Funeral Train
An overview of events from March to early April 1865, Lincoln’s assassination and the Funeral Train, as it travels its way to Springfield, Ill., concentrating on its journey from Albany to Buffalo.
Oswald: Assassin or Patsy?
Was it a lone nut assassin or a conspiracy? This talk will not tell you who did it. But it will review the movements of Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22, 1963, with a special emphasis on the noon lunch hour – arguably the most famous lunch hour in American history.
Dealey Plaza
Review of events and eyewitness testimony just before, during and immediately after JFK’s assassination in Dallas, November 22, 1963. Discussion on the infamous Grassy Knoll, the Texas School Book Depository and Presidential security also included.
Speaker: Laura Fitzgerald Laurafitz2007@gmail.com
Director of Operation of Preservation Buffalo Niagara; historian; Trustee, Buffalo Presidential Center
Lincoln’s Legacy in Western New York
See Lincoln’s legacy through the lens of Western New York. Discover a local manufacturer with ties to the assassination at Ford’s Theatre; meet the resident who witnessed Lincoln’s murder and rushed to alert the authorities. Learn about two area men instrumental in the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth, and the newspaperman and his son whose words may have shaped the Gettysburg Address.
Famous Women
of Western New York
Many women of power and influence resided in Buffalo. Hear the inspirational stories of important historic heroines like Margaret St. John, Kathleen Howard, and Shirley Chisholm.
Speaker: Rachelle Moyer Francis ramofrancis@aol.com
Author; retired Orchard Park teacher; Curator, Millard Fillmore Presidential Site; Trustee, Buffalo Presidential Center
A Chronological and Inefficient Quest: American Presidential Homes #11 to #20
Visits to presidential homes, not for the political details, but for human interest stories and surprising observations. This will include an extensive book and media list.
Will the Real Millard Fillmore Please Stand Up?
Three political parties, two different wives, widely conflicting reviews—who really was our most Buffalonian president?
The Two Wives of Millard Fillmore
Abigail Powers Fillmore and Caroline Carmichael McIntosh Fillmore looked alike, but were very different. Come meet the ladies who flank President Millard Fillmore at Forest Lawn.
Whatever Happened to Campaign Songs?
The Whigs of the 19th century invented insulting and sometimes bawdy songs to promote their presidential candidates. Join us for a lively sing along!
“The Buffalo Presidential Suite”
Sing (and even play!) four fun and original songs about Buffalo’s presidents — Fillmore, Cleveland, McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt, and learn history in a fun way!
Speaker: Bren Price
Retired educator; Master Docent, Explore Buffalo; Trustee, Buffalo Presidential Center
Presidents in Buffalo: Unusual and Untold Stories
Considering Buffalo’s rich and perhaps unique Presidential history, you will be surprised at how many unusual, unknown, and even weird stories abound. Some may be controversial—others “believe-it-or-not.”
Contested Presidential Elections: When Popular Votes Didn’t Matter
You think contested elections are a modern phenomenon? Hear the stories about many contested elections throughout our history.
Third Party Politics
and the American Presidency
How have third parties had an effect on our presidential elections? Buffalo's connections to third party politics is impressive, including the first one!
Abraham Lincoln in Buffalo
Did you know Abraham Lincoln visited Buffalo four times in life and death, and that there were two funerals in Buffalo? You'll be surprised when you hear the details.
Donkeys and Elephants: Enduring Political Mascots
How in the world did donkeys and elephants evolve into mascots of the Democratic and Republican parties? Can you guess where they first appeared? We’ll journey from the mid-1800s to present day, picturing an array of comic illustrations and funky artifacts used to support or denigrate political candidates.
Grover and Frances Folsom Cleveland: Their Buffalo Legacies
You will learn many of the "Buffalo myths" surrounding the Clevelands.
Speaker: Jeff Schober
Writer; retired educator; co-founder of BuffaloTales.net; Trustee, Buffalo Presidential Center
Jeff can tailor a talk to adults or children, and is flexible with presidential topics. Below are a few suggested presentations.
When “Fake News” is True: Grover Cleveland was a Big, Fat Liar
During his second term, President Cleveland underwent a risky operation, then maneuvered to discredit the journalist who reported the story. Years later, the truth was finally revealed.
17 Deadly Days
California, 1975. 17 days apart. Two women. Each with a gun. Both tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford. The fascinating story of Ford's brief presidency and how he was lucky — twice — to avoid being shot.
The Many Loves of
Thomas Jefferson
From his wife, Martha, who died at 33, to Maria Cosway, the married woman he met in Paris, to the enslaved Sally Hemings, Jefferson’s personal life appears less like an American icon and more like a flawed man.
Was the United States Justified in Using the Atomic Bomb during World War II?
There are two equally compelling sides to this discussion.
Speaker: Courtney Speckmann Courtney.speckmann@gmail.com
Director of Programs & Community Engagement at Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park; former Director of Education, White House Historical Association; Trustee, Buffalo Presidential Center
History of the White House
The White House is an enduring symbol of the United States. For more than 220 years, it has served U.S. presidents as a home, office, and stage. Learn about the history and roles of the White House and explore how the building has changed over time.