For over 25 years, the Oregon Historical Society has presented the Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series, bringing together the nation’s top historians and award-winning authors for thought-provoking evenings of history. The series began at the suggestion of Senator Hatfield and continues as a tribute to his legacy of public service and as an opportunity to share stories of the people and events that have shaped history. Past speakers include notable historians and authors Heather Cox Richardson, David McCullough, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Jon Meacham, Cokie Roberts, and Isabel Wilkerson.
The 2026 series features:
- February 17: Keisha Blain, Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights
- March 10: Michael Luo, Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America
- April 14: Megan Kate Nelson, The Westerners: Myth-Making and Belonging on the American Frontier
- May 12: Rick Atkinson, Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777–1780 (Revolution Trilogy, 2)
All lectures begin at 7 p.m. and will be held at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in downtown Portland as well as livestreamed.