W. Bruce Lincoln Endowed Lecture Series

One of our signature events every year honors the legacy of a former colleague. The W. Bruce Lincoln Endowed Lecture Series features distinguished scholars discussing topics relevant to academia and the public. These interdisciplinary lectures reflect Professor Lincoln’s research, writing and teaching approach.

Bruce Lincoln, a leading expert on Russia, taught at NIU from 1967 to 1999. His 12 acclaimed books, including several for general readers, earned national recognition and international translations. Notably, two were chosen for the Book-of-the-Month Club and five for the History Book Club. As Lincoln noted, "Historians who write only for specialists neglect a broader audience" (New York Times, April 14, 2000), emphasizing his commitment to making Russian history accessible and relevant.

Past Lectures

• 2004 - Martin Marty, University of Chicago (inaugural lecture)
• 2005 - Walter LaFeber, Cornell University
• 2006 - Lizabeth Cohen, Harvard University
• 2007 - Mark Danner, MacArthur Fellow
• 2008 - Matthew Connelly, Woodrow Wilson Fellow, Columbia University
• 2009 - Jonathan Spence, Yale University
• 2010 - Ramon Gutierrez, University of Chicago
• 2011 - John W. Dower, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• 2012 - Timothy Snyder, Bird White Housum Professor of History, Yale University
• 2013 - Richard White, Stanford University
• 2014 - Deborah Cohen, Peter B. Ritzma Professor of the Humanities, Northwestern University
• 2015 - Max Essex, Mary Woodard Lasker Professor of Health Sciences, Harvard
• 2016 - Martha Hodes, New York University
• 2017 - Jeff Wasserstrom, University of California, Irvine
• 2018 - Mark D. Steinberg, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• 2019 - Timothy Beal, Florence Harkness Professor of Religious Studies, Case Western Reserve University
• 2020 - No speaker due to the pandemic
• 2021 - Geraldine Heng, University of Texas at Austin
• 2022 - Camila Townsend, Rutgers University
• 2023 - Greg Grandin, Yale University
• 2024 - Clint Smith, author, poet and columnist for The Atlantic
• 2025- Ussama Makdisi, University of California Berkeley

Contributions

Contributions to the W. Bruce Lincoln Endowed Lecture Series ensure its continued success and help us bring distinguished scholars to share their expertise. Please contact the department for more information on how to contribute.