Daily Adult Workshops

Chautauqua workshops invite participants to explore and discuss issues of the 1930s. Led by the Chautauqua scholars, the nine adult workshops appeal to a variety of interests. Click here for youth programs.

• Colby, Kansas
• Belleville, Kansas
• Columbus, Nebraska
• North Platte, Nebraska

Role of Political Satire and Commentary presented by Doug Watson
During the 1930s, political cartoons, radio programs, newspaper articles and film mirrored and sometimes exaggerated how Americans responded to political and religious leaders. This workshop will use examples of Will Rogers’ work from the 1920s and 1930s to discuss the continuing role of humor as a response to today’s world.

Will Rogers:  Film and American Society presented by Doug Watson
From 1929-1935, Will Rogers made 21 “talkies.” These movies, filled with Rogers’ trademark wit, wisdom, and an optimistic vision of American society, were extremely popular. They also provide insight into social topics from the time period such as new wealth, rural distress, political and economic corruption. This workshop examines how Rogers’ movies informed Americans about complex issues. Can the same be said about today’s movies?

A Farm Holiday Association protest at the Capitol successfully demanded that the Legislature enact a two-year moratorium on foreclosures. Photo courtesy Nebraska State Historical Society.

Agriculture Then and Now presented by Patrick McGinnis
Today’s family farm looks much different than the farms of our grandparents and great-grandparents. During the 1930s, New Deal farm policies changed traditional farming practices and the role of government in agriculture. This workshop will examine why these policies were introduced and how they affected rural communities.

What Do Historians Say? presented by Patrick McGinnis
In 1932 during his presidential campaign, Franklin Delano Roosevelt introduced his New Deal ideas. Historians differ on the interpretation of the impact and legacy of these relief programs. This workshop will explore many interpretations and give participants the opportunity to discuss how the image of FDR changes with the perspective presented.

Crisis and the Role of the Demagogue presented by Fred Krebs
A demagogue can be defined by a leader who champions the cause of the common people or a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power. So - was Huey Long a demagogue? Participants in this workshop will consider what leadership meant to politician Huey Long. Clips will be shown of Rossen’s 1949 film “All the King’s Men,” a fictitious account of Long’s life. 

Huey Long and State Innovation presented by Fred Krebs
Huey Long was innovative in his approach as Governor of Louisiana from 1928-1932. He worked to create laws that would make life easier and more equitable for the people. This workshop will examine Long’s work as a reformer in his home state.  How did his ideas affect change in Louisiana and the nation?

Radio in the Thirties presented by Tonia Compton
Radio in the 1930s changed the ways Americans learned about the world around them. FDR, Huey Long, Will Rogers, and Aimee Semple McPherson used radio as a new way to reach the American public and this workshop will include samples of popular shows from that time. Workshop participants will analyze radio’s impact on cultural, political, and social changes of the 1930s. How does today’s technology influence American society?

Floods, FEMA & the Faithful: Religious Organizations' Relief Efforts in the Wake of Disasters presented by Tonia Compton
This workshop will examine the development of religious groups' work providing relief efforts across the United States when natural or man-made disasters wreak havoc on human habitation. From Hurricane Katrina to disasters such as the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, religious groups, participants will consider how churches and other religious groups responded to these crises as well as the Depression and Dust Bowl on the Great Plains.

Go Gator and Muddy the Water presented by Wanda Schell
Zora Neale Hurston wrote for the Federal Writer’s Project during the Thirties, collecting folklore as well as other stories. In this workshop, participants will compare Kansas and Nebraska folklore, myths, and rituals to that of Florida collected by Hurston and its importance both then and now. Additionally, participants will explore healing rituals, songs, and children’s games from Hurston’s writing and how some of the more controversial themes were received by her contemporaries. 

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