Physician and former six-term governor of Vermont, Howard Dean, will present a talk, “What Do the Midterms Mean for American Democracy?” on Thursday, November 10 at 7:30 p.m.  This event will take place at Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society at 2 Duane Ct. in Middlebury, VT.  This event is free and open to the public.

             This presentation is jointly sponsored as a community program by the Henry Sheldon Museum and the Hawthorne Club, both long associated with the history of Middlebury and Addison County.  The Hawthorne Club was founded in 1877 to establish closer relations between members of the Middlebury College community and citizens of the town.  It is named for Nathaniel Hawthorne, a national literary hero whose talks at the College made him a local celebrity. The Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History was chartered in 1882 as an art museum, archeological, and historical society, and the institution continues to fulfill roles associated with those fields. Amongst its holdings are the archives of the Hawthorne Club. 

            The two organizations formed a partnership in 2015 to offer annually to the public at large a talk by a recognized specialist.  The organizations have welcomed Judge William K. Sessions III (2015), who reflected upon his judicial career and philosophy, and Jay Parini (2016), who detailed his Hollywood experiences when his books were made into movies. In 2017, Alex Wolff, veteran Sports Illustrated journalist, examined the recent history of the Olympic Games, and in 2018, Jane Lindholm, radio journalist, host, and commentator reflected on her years with VPR’s Vermont Edition. This year, Howard Dean, a prominent political leader in the state of Vermont and former presidential candidate in 2004, will provide insight into the relationship between the democratic political process Democracy in the United States today.