Jerry M. Lewis May 4 Lecture Series and Luncheon

Now in its fifth year, the lecture and luncheon will be held in the Kent Student Center Ballroom and will include a special remembrance of Lewis. The lecture series was created to honor the legacy of Lewis and advance the scholarship of May 4 and the Vietnam War era. The 2026 speaker is David Strittmatter, Ph.D., associate professor of history at Ohio Northern University, who will present “The Guardsmen Speak: Tragedy and Memory 56 Years Later.”

The program will conclude with a special remembrance of Lewis, with remarks from Kent State President Todd Diacon; Alison Caplan, director of the May 4 Visitors Center; Richard O’Toole, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Sociology; and Lewis’ son, Damon Lewis. A dessert reception will follow immediately. This ticketed event is free and open to the public.