MARION, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—The Ohio State University at Marion, in partnership with Harding Presidential Sites and the Ohio History Connection, will host the 2025 Warren G. Harding Presidential Symposium, “Politics at the Doorstep: Presidential Front Porch Campaigns,” on July 18-19, 2025. The annual event aims to illuminate presidential history through the insights of leading scholars and experts.
The two-day symposium is expected to draw hundreds of attendees from across the country and will feature a lineup of distinguished presidential experts. They include Alan Gephardt from the James A. Garfield National Historic Site, Jennifer Capps, vice president of curatorship and exhibition at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, Kimberly Kenney, executive director of the McKinley Presidential Library and Museum, and Sherry Hall, site manager of the Harding Presidential Sites.
The symposium kicks off Friday, July 18, with a Brown Bag Luncheon Program and an evening Opening Reception at the Warren G. Harding Presidential Library and Museum. Saturday, July 19, begins with an Official Presidential Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the Harding Memorial, followed by Afternoon Workshop Sessions with the participating experts. The event culminates with a Gala Dinner and Panel Discussion at The Ohio State University at Marion.
Alan Gephardt, the opening workshop speaker, has served as a park ranger at James A. Garfield National Historic Site since 2009. A native of Maryland, Gephardt holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Towson University and a master’s degree in history from the University of Maryland. With a career in the museum field since 1990 and with the National Park Service since 2007, he previously worked at Hampton National Historic Site and Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. His work focuses on interpreting the life of James A. Garfield, conducting extensive research, and regularly speaking and writing on Garfield’s era.
Jennifer Capps, a graduate of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, has dedicated over 30 years to the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site. As vice president of curatorship and exhibition, she oversees the site’s collections and maintains the home of the 23rd president. Capps has held board positions with the Association of Indiana Museums and the Hoosier Chapter of the Victorian Society in America and currently serves as the Regent of the Caroline Scott Harrison Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.
Kimberly Kenney, who became executive director of the McKinley Presidential Library and Museum in 2019 after serving as curator since 2001, earned her bachelor’s degree in American history and creative writing from Wells College and a master’s degree in history museum studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program. She is the author of nine books, including “Exploring the American Presidency through 50 Historic Treasures.” Her work on the 1918 influenza pandemic was featured on C-SPAN. She is actively involved with the Ohio Local History Alliance and the City Landmark Commission for Canton.
Sherry Hall, a Marion native, graduated from Heidelberg University with degrees in English and American Studies. Her career began in journalism at The Marion Star before she joined the Harding Presidential Sites in 2000, becoming site manager in 2009. An authority on Warren and Florence Harding, Hall authored “Warren G. Harding and The Marion Daily Star: How Newspapering Shaped a President” and has developed numerous educational programs and articles on the Harding era.
Registration for the 2025 Warren G. Harding Symposium is open until Friday, June 27, 2025, and can be completed at showclix.com/event/the-2025-warren-g-harding-symposium.