Dr. Larry P. Arnn — world-renowned Winston Churchill expert and president of Hillsdale College — will deliver the prestigious Enid and R. Crosby Kemper Lecture during Westminster College’s 80th anniversary commemoration of the “Iron Curtain” speech.
The 80th anniversary of the “Iron Curtain” speech
Arnn’s lecture will take place at 3:30 p.m. on March 6 in the Historic Gymnasium, where the former British prime minister delivered his prophetic address on March 5, 1946, accompanied by U.S. President Harry S Truman.
The lecture is part of a series of exciting events that will take place March 5-7 during the 2026 Churchill Fellows Weekend.
Titled “Churchill: A Man of Our Time,” Arnn’s lecture is free and open to the public, but registration is required to ensure adequate seating. Visit “‘The Sinews of Peace’ at 80 Years” on the website of America’s National Churchill Museum (ANCM) to register.
“Eight decades have passed since Churchill delivered his historic speech here, and we are honored to welcome Dr. Arnn as we mark this milestone anniversary,” said Timothy Riley, Sandra L. and Monroe E. Trout Director and Chief Curator and Churchill Fellow. “Widely regarded as one of the foremost authorities on Winston Churchill, Dr. Arnn will offer timely and insightful reflections on how Churchill’s lessons continue to speak to our own time.”
Dr. Larry P. Arnn and Winston Churchill
The author of three books, including Churchill’s Trial: Winston Churchill and the Salvation of Free Government, Arnn is well-respected around the globe for his lifelong, in-depth research on the statesman. Arnn’s research began when he served as director of research for Churchill’s official biographer, Sir Martin Gilbert.
Gilbert delivered Westminster’s first Enid and R. Crosby Kemper Lecture in 1981. Arnn’s lecture will be the 39th Crosby Kemper lecture.
Through Arnn’s research, Hillsdale College launched The Churchill Project — an ambitious initiative that digitally houses Churchill’s 20 million published words. Among its many endeavors, the project is also responsible for republishing and completing all 23 volumes of The Churchill Documents as well as eight narrative volumes that comprise Churchill’s official biography.
In addition to his involvement with The Churchill Project and responsibilities as Hillsdale’s president, Arnn teaches a variety of courses on Churchill in his capacity as a professor of politics and history. Read more about him on ANCM’s website.
Sarah Rummel Backer is the Director of Media Relations and Senior Writer at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. A proud Westminster graduate, Sarah has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and strategic communications in the areas of higher education, medicine, agriculture, and the private business sector.
