Read about American presidency, history with book club at Hayes Presidential

Read books about the American presidency, issues that affected it and U.S. history during the Presidential History Book Club at the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums.

The club meets monthly from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays in the museum auditorium. Participation is free, and meetings are offered in person and virtually.

The club sometimes has authors and featured speakers visit and lead the discussion. The schedule of books for 2026 and early 2027 is:

  • Feb. 25 — "Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America" by Jared Cohen. 
  • March 25 — “Plentiful Country: The Great Potato Famine and the Making of Irish New York” by Tyler Anbinder
  • April 29 — Continuation of the March discussion on “Plentiful Country”
  • May 27 — “The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III” by Andrew Roberts
  • June 24 — Continuation of the May discussion on “The Last King of America”
  • July 29 — “The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding” by Joseph J. Ellis
  • Aug. 26 — Continuation of the July discussion on “The Great Contradiction”
  • Sept. 30 — “Washington’s Circle: The Creation of the President” by David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler
  • Oct. 28 – Continuation of the September discussion on “Washington’s Circle”
  • Dec. 9 — “The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin”
  • Jan. 27, 2027 — Continuation of the December discussion on “The First American”

Julie Mayle, curator of manuscripts; Kevin Moore, curator of artifacts; and Alina Hart, education coordinator; take turns leading the club and its discussions. Participants can bring their lunch.

For those who want to participate virtually, the login info is: https://zoom.us/j/98540369691?pwd=Ti9GvavLCzkMSpDQbGnjYJnMo03K2b.1

Meeting ID: 985 4036 9691

Passcode: 9qfLDX

The Presidential History Book Club is sponsored by Richard and Kathy Smith.

Hayes Presidential is America’s first presidential library and the forerunner of the federal presidential library system. It is partially funded by the state of Ohio and affiliated with the Ohio History Connection. Hayes Presidential is located at Spiegel Grove on Buckland Avenue.

For information, call 419-332-2081, or visit rbhayes.org. Like Hayes Presidential on Facebook and follow on Instagram at rbhayespres and on Bluesky at rbhayespres.bsky.social.

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