UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Visit America’s national parks, tour the lighthouses of the Great Lakes, and discover who is missing from the history books of the women’s suffrage movement — all from the comfort of your home, and at no cost, with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Penn State. Register for OLLI at Penn State Winter Warm-Up courses offered Jan. 26 to Feb. 11. The courses are open to nonmembers.
Cathleen Cahill, associate professor of history in the College of the Liberal Arts at Penn State, will be one of the instructors. She grew up in California and taught in New Mexico before moving to Pennsylvania. Cahill said the inspiration for her work began with a curiosity about suffrage histories in the American West, how they influenced the movement in the East, and how debates around the 1915 Pennsylvania state suffrage campaign were referencing Western states like Colorado, that already had full women’s suffrage.
“The course is drawn from my recent book ‘Recasting the Vote: How Women of Color Transformed the Suffrage Movement,’” Cahill said. “I used the word recasting because it introduces a new cast of suffrage activists — but it also recasts the story in a new light, changing the way we need to tell suffrage history.”
Cahill said the book and the course were inspired by the centennial of the 19th Amendment in 2020.
“It was a moment to reassess the usual stories we tell about women’s suffrage and voting rights and ask which stories don’t get as much attention. I wanted to make sure that our discussions on the anniversary reflected the diversity of our nation,” Cahill said. “I also enjoy learning new things about histories I thought I knew. I think that’s the case for a lot of people, and the course is set up to introduce participants to people, places and events that they likely haven’t heard of before.”
Cahill’s course, titled “Who was a Suffragist? A More Diverse View,” will be offered from 10-11:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 11, via Zoom.
A complete list of OLLI at Penn State Winter Warm-Up courses and registration links are below:
“Hidden Gems of America’s National Park System”
Explore the hidden gems of America’s national parks with David Kroese, who visited all 423 National Park Service units in one year.
1:30-3 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 26
Register here for "Hidden Gems of America's National Park System."
“Offshore Outposts”
Join Rick Mixter, three-term president of the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association, as he shares stories about the 388 lighthouses on the Great Lakes and those who survived working on these desolate beacons.
7-8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 3
Register here for "Offshore Outposts."
“Who was a Suffragist? A More Diverse View”
Join Cathleen Cahill, associate professor of history in the College of the Liberal Arts at Penn State, as she shares the hidden histories of the Native American, Chinese American, African American, and Latina suffragists who also marched in parades, debated with national suffrage leaders, and met with presidents and other politicians.
10-11:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 11
Register here for "Who was a Suffragist? A More Diverse View."