The Cleo Redd Fisher Museum recently announced the upcoming slate for their Speaker Series; one of the top humanities-focused speaker series in the state. The series invites historians, scientists, researchers, authors and other experts to discuss their findings, stories, and passions with the public. Year after-year, the series has highlighted important historical events, scientific findings, and cultural discussions.

The upcoming series kicks off by exploring the life of Jesse James, today considered an outlaw, bank and train robber, and the leader of the notorious James-Younger Gang. James was a former confederate guerrilla in the American Civil War, after which his gang terrorized large swaths of the Midwest—however, despite their ruthless actions, he and his gang also gained sympathetic views and today he is often portrayed as a contemporary “Robin Hood,” stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Joining the museum will be historian Mel Maurer, who will help the audience answer the question: Was James a folk hero or a ruthless killer?

Mel Maurer is the past president of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable, a nonprofit historical society and social group dedicated to the study and discussion of the American Civil War and that period of our nation’s history. Maurer is a passionate researcher and author, publishing numerous articles on civil war history.

This program, "Jesse James: The Last Rebel of the Civil War," will be presented on Monday, Oct. 21. The series continues throughout the winter with "Challenged, Banned or Burned: Reactions to Controversial Books in November," "The Newark Earthworks: One of the World’s Ancient Wonders in February," "Doing Time in Shawshank: Behind the Scenes" in March, and culminating with "Statues, Flags, and the Ongoing Battle Over the Meaning of the Civil War in April."

All the events are held in the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum (203 E. Main Street in Loudonville, Ohio) and are free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:30, with the events beginning at 7 pm. For more information on the museum, or the series, interested persons can visit the museum online at crfmuseum.com or call the office at 419 994-4050.