SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Wolfgang Mieder, Professor Emeritus of the German and Russian Language Department at the University of Vermont, will present the OLLI-Osher Lifelong Learning Institute program “Government of the People, by the People, for the People – The Making and Meaning of an American Proverb of Democracy” on Tuesday, April 25, at 2 p.m., at the Nolin Murray Center, next to St. Mary’s Church on Pleasant Street in Springfield.
Professor Mieder is a leading expert on folklore and proverbs. He will investigate the origin, history, and significance of the triad of “government of, by, and for the people,” and how it became an American proverb, defining the concept of democracy in a most succinct manner. The survey deals with John Adams, Daniel Webster, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, Barack Obama, and others.
The survival of the “people” proverb in the modern age will also be discussed. Even though Lincoln’s name is often attached to it, the proverb is also cited as an anonymous piece of wisdom that encompasses the fundamental principles of a democratic government.
The final program of the OLLI semester will be May 9. We’ll enjoy the recollections of the “good ole days,” as witnessed by Steve Taylor of Plainfield, N.H., as he tells his stories of “80 Years of Changes in the Connecticut River Valley.”
You may view the entire semester of programs by going to the website www.learn.uvm.edu/olli/springfield. Non-members are welcome and encouraged to attend individual programs for a single program fee.
If you do attend and have not pre-registered, we will welcome you, and provide an easy form for you to take to send in payment or pay online after the program. No payment can be accepted at the event.
Pre-registration can be done online on the website with a credit card. You may also register over the phone, using your credit card, by calling 802-656-5817 during regular office hours, Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
For full Covid health & safety information, go to www.learn.uvm.edu/olli/springfield. The University of Vermont expects that participants will be vaccinated. Masks are optional and welcomed.