A year-long series of upcoming seminars aims to shed light on the United States’ role in the Vietnam War in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of its conclusion in 1975. The series is presented as part of the Columbus State University’s Hallock Endowment for Military History annual programming.

These public lectures and panel discussions will bring together scholars, veterans and policymakers to explore the U.S.’s involvement in the conflict, its lasting impact and the lessons that can be drawn from it for today's world. They begin on Thursday, Sept. 11 and continue every four to six weeks into late April 2026. Details about each program will be available on the Hallock Endowment website. Featured speakers and presenters will include:

• Dr. Mark Lawrence (Sept. 11, “The Battle After the War: Learning Lessons from Vietnam”), the Walter Prescott Webb Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin and former director of the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum [bio]
• Dr. Marc Selverstone (Jan. 22, 2026, “Presidential Decision Making During the Vietnam War”), the Miller Center director of presidential studies and Gerald L. Baliles Professor of Presidential Studies at the University of Virginia [bio]
• Dr. Bob Brigham (April 2, 2026, “This Is a True War Story”), professor of history and the Shirley Ecker Boskey Chair at Vassar College [bio]

Decades after the fall of Saigon, the Vietnam War still influences American foreign policy, military strategy and cultural identity. The conflict, which lasted from the 1950s to 1975, was a watershed moment in U.S. history—characterized by intense debate, social upheaval and a profound loss of trust in government. As the nation faces a new wave of global challenges, understanding the complex legacy of the Vietnam War has become more important than ever.

“The United States' war in Vietnam was one of the longest and most divisive in the nation’s history, and it is one that touched the Columbus community in unique ways,” explained Dr. David Kieran, the Col. Richard R. Hallock Distinguished Chair in Military History and Associate Professor in the Department of History, Geography & Philosophy. “Grappling with the history of that war, the experience of those who served, and the lessons and legacies of that conflict is essential as the nation looks at new challenges in the 21st century."

Military studies at Columbus State

Kieran, a noted military historian, leads the endowment’s efforts and is frequently sought for his commentary and analysis. He recently completed a year-long visiting faculty appointment as the Harold Keith Johnson Chair at the U.S. Army War College and is the author, editor or co-editor of five books on U.S. military history, including Signature Wounds: The Untold Story of the Military's Mental Health Crisis and At War: The Military and American Culture in the Twentieth Century and Beyond.

Established in 2010, the Col. Richard R. Hallock Endowment for Military History has positioned Columbus State as a nationally recognized destination for students, historians and others interested in deepening their understanding of the military, those who serve in it, the wars it fights and its place in U.S. culture.

Along with supporting students’ military history studies, student internships, and research collections in the university’s Archives & Special Collections, the endowment also underwrites community programming like the lecture series. Past series have explored the country’s involvement in and legacies of World War II, the Korean War and the Iraq War.

To learn more about the lectures and the Hallock Endowment, and to subscribe to email updates, visit the Hallock Endowment website.