Osher Lifelong Learning Institute California State University Fullerton
A Continuing Learning Experience
The Key to Learning
American Presidency
Ameriacan Presidency
American Presidency
Alternate Thursdays • 1:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. • Mackey Auditorium
Coordinator/Instructor: Bob Linn


We will continue with our study and analysis of the personal and public lives of the 42 diverse individuals who have led the nation as President of the United States. We are not taking the presidents in chronological order but in similarity groups, and comparing presidents in various decades.
As we approach each similarity group our study will concentrate on three objectives:
    1. Examine each presidency as to its goals and achievements and the way various groups of historians and scholars have evaluated and rated them in comparison to others.
    2. Explore the behind the scenes aspect of each president. This will include human interest stories, personal and family life, and all those things that make up the total individual.
    3. Finally, in a broader sense, we will examine the political, social and economic history of the United States for the general time period of each president.

These three objectives will be consistently merged as we approach the study of each similarity group and each president. The study of each president and the historical times will be supplemented by multiple video film presentations.  Class participation and discussion are encouraged. Watch the OLLI-CSUF Bulletin Board for specific topics for each date.

We will continue coverage of Group VII    The Heroic Posture
George Washington (#1)    America’s First Hero    1789-1797
William Henry Harrison (#9)    A Manufactured Hero    1841
Ulysses S. Grant (#18)    In Over His Head    1869-1877
Dwight D. Eisenhower (#34)    The Heroic Image    1953-1961

And then move into Group VIII     Compromise Choices
Franklin Pierce (#14)    The Dark Horse President    1853-1857
James A. Garfield (#20)    Awaiting Destiny    1881
Warren G. Harding (#29)    I Should Never Have Been Here    1921-1923
Gerald Ford (#38)    Healing the Nation    1974-1977

Dates for this summer are:    
June 5    June 19    July 3   July 17        July 31

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