High Noon: “Understanding the Political Glass Ceiling”

The candidacy of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election represents the possibility of an historic first — a female president of the United States of America.

Furman University political science professor Liz Smith will discuss women in American politics and why that possibility has taken so long to occur when she opens the university’s High Noon spring lecture series Wednesday, March 16 at the Upcountry History Museum-Furman.

Her talk, “Women and U.S. Politics: Understanding the Political Glass Ceiling,” begins at noon.  It is free and open to the public.

Dr. Smith’s talk is the first of five lectures that will be presented during the spring High Noon series.  All lectures are free and begin at noon on Wednesdays.

In a democracy that is more than 200 years old, women currently constitute 19.3 percent of the U.S. House of Representatives and 20 percent of the Senate, putting America in 94th place in the world in terms of women’s representation in the national legislature.  What explains the slow march of women into politics, and what are the future prospects for breaking the political glass ceiling?

The Upcountry History Museum-Furman is located at 540 Buncombe Street in downtown Greenville’s Heritage Green area.

Here are the other lectures in the spring High Noon series.  Please note that there is no lecture on April 13 and the final lecture will be held April 20.

March 23

“Schools and Inequality, Revisited”

Dr. Joseph J. Merry, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Furman University

March 30

“Oops.  How to Undo a Campaign in 30 Seconds or Less”

Dr. Danielle Vinson, Professor of Political Science, Furman University

April 6

“Retirement: More than Money, Much More”

Dr. Jack Hansen, Author, Shaping a Life of Significance for Retirement

April 13

Open date.  No lecture today.

April 20

“What We Remember, What We Forget: Why Southern History Matters Today”

Dr. Steve O’Neill, Professor of History, Furman University

A complete schedule of the High Noon lectures is available on Furman’s website.

For more information, contact Furman’s Marketing and Public Relations office at 864.294.3107 or vince.moore@furman.edu.