Command & Courage: Oliver Hazard Perry
Symposium August 13 and 14
Join us for a 2-day symposium August 13 and 14 on the campus of Gannon University for a series of discussions by noted Oliver Hazard Perry historians.
August 13: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
August 14: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This includes breakfast and lunch
Register Here
Our audience will learn about Perry and what made him the person he was. The event will offer a deep, multidimensional look at the man whose leadership helped secure the United States’ control of the Great Lakes during the War of 1812.
Discover how Perry’s leadership, at just 28 years old, shaped the nation’s expansion into the Upper Midwest and helped define the emerging identity of the early U.S. Navy.
Agenda / Itinerary
Thursday August 13th, 2026
1:00 PM – Welcome –
Honorable Daria Devlin, Mayor of the City of Erie
1:15 PM – “The Early Years and Beginnings of a Naval Career” –
Dr. Matthew C. Perry, PhD
2:30 PM - “Appointment to the Lake Erie Command” –
Capt. Walter Rybka
4:00 PM - “The Battle of Lake Erie” –
Craig Symonds, PhD
Friday, August 14th, 2026
9:00 AM - Welcome –
Dr. Walter Iwanenko, Jr., Ph.D., President, Gannon University
9:15 AM – “Elliott, Wm. Henry Harrison & End of Naval Career” –
Chris Havern – Naval History and Heritage Command
10:30 AM – “The War of 1812 & Oliver Hazard Perry” – Round Table Discussion –
Moderator - Dr. Jeff Bloodworth, PhD, Gannon University
Panel – Dr. Matthew C. Perry, PhD, Capt. Walter Rybka, Craig Symonds, PhD, Chris Havern
12:00 Noon - Lunch
Remarks – Cal Pifer, President, Hagen History Center
1:00 PM - “Don’t Give Up The Ship: Modern Day Leadership Perspectives from a non-Historian.”
Dr. Olenda Johnson, PhD
2:00 PM – Keynote Address – “Oliver Hazard Perry: Command and Courage” –
Dr. Douglas Brinkley, PhD
4:00 PM – Summary, Wrap-Up & Adjournment – HHC Staff
Thanks to our sponsors: Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority, PNC Bank, Doris Becker Lecture Series, and the Jefferson Educational Society.
