2026 McCreight Lecture in the Humanities: Rick Atkinson

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, widely considered to be the nation’s “birthday,” the West Virginia Humanities Council is honored to host our distinguished speaker, historian and author Rick Atkinson.

The Speaker

Rick Atkinson is a best-selling author, three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, and former Washington Post journalist. He is the author of the New York Times best-selling The British Are Coming, the first volume of his acclaimed Revolution Trilogy, which has earned numerous honors including the George Washington Prize and the New-York Historical Society’s Zalaznick Book Prize. The second volume in the trilogy, The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777–1780, continues the sweeping narrative of the American Revolution, capturing the conflict’s critical middle years with vivid storytelling and deep historical insight. Atkinson also serves as a historical advisor for Ken Burns’ PBS documentary series The American Revolution, which commemorates the Revolution’s 250th anniversary.

Admission is free, no RSVP required.

West Virginia Humanities Council: wvhumanities.org

For more information on Rick Atkinson, please visit: rickatkinson.com/