MARION, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—The Ohio State University at Marion, the Warren G. Harding Presidential Sites and the Ohio History Connection are partnering to present “Politics at the Doorstep: Presidential Front Porch Campaigns,” a symposium featuring presidential scholars and experts on Friday, July 18, and Saturday, July 19.

The event will bring history to life through the insights of experts including:

  • Alan Gephardt from the James A. Garfield National Historic Site
  • Jennifer Capps, vice president of curatorship and exhibition at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site
  • Kimberely Kenney, executive director of the McKinley Presidential Library and Museum
  • Sherry Hall, site manager of the Harding Presidential Sites

Registration for the symposium has been extended through Friday, July 4. Tickets and the full schedule for the symposium, or individual portions, are available at showclix.com/event/the-2025-warren-g-harding-symposium. The full symposium package costs $152, with various other prices available for individual sessions.

The two-day symposium, which annually attracts hundreds of attendees from across the country, begins July 18 with a Brown Bag Luncheon Program and an evening Opening Reception at the Warren G. Harding Presidential Library and Museum.

Day two, July 19, will feature an Official Presidential Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the Harding Memorial, followed by Afternoon Workshop Sessions with the presidential experts, and will conclude with a Gala Dinner and Panel Discussion at The Ohio State University at Marion.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Alan Gephardt has served as a ranger at James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor since 2009. A native of Maryland, he holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Towson University and a master’s degree in history from the University of Maryland. Gephardt has worked in the museum field since 1990 and joined the National Park Service in 2007, with postings at Hampton National Historic Site in Maryland and Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore. His passion for U.S. and presidential history led him to his current role, where he interprets James A. Garfield’s life and career to the public and conducts tours of the Garfield home. He has conducted extensive research in the Garfield papers at the Library of Congress and regularly speaks and writes on Garfield’s life and times.

Jennifer Capps is a graduate of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, where she majored in history and anthropology. She has worked at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site for over 30 years and is currently vice president of curatorship and exhibition. In this role, she collaborates with the Collections and Exhibitions Committee and the Building and Grounds Committee to oversee the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site collections and maintain the home of the nation’s 23rd president. Capps has served on the board of the Association of Indiana Museums and the Hoosier Chapter of the Victorian Society in America and is a member of several other professional organizations. She currently serves as the Regent of the Caroline Scott Harrison Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. She resides in a historic Indianapolis neighborhood and enjoys gardening and time with her family and pets.

Kimberly Kenney was named curator at the McKinley Presidential Library and Museum in 2001 and became executive director in 2019. She earned a bachelor’s degree in American history and creative writing from Wells College in Aurora, New York, and a master’s degree in history museum studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program. Kenney is the author of nine books, including “Exploring the American Presidency through 50 Historic Treasures,” “Stark County Food: From Early Farming to Modern Meals” and “Murder in Stark County.” Her work has been published in various professional and literary publications, and her program “The 1918 Influenza Pandemic” was featured on the C-SPAN network series American History TV. She is a board member of the Ohio Local History Alliance and Friends of Canton City Parks & Recreation and serves on the City Landmark Commission for the City of Canton.

Sherry Hall, a Marion native, graduated from Heidelberg University with majors in English and American Studies. She began her journalism career as a reporter for The Marion Star, covering city hall and police, and editing the Sunday edition. She later served as an editor at The Alliance Review and bureau chief at The (Canton) Repository. Hall has been site manager of the Harding Presidential Sites in Marion since 2009, having previously managed the site’s education programs for nine years. She is an historian specializing in the lives of Warren and Florence Harding and authored the 2014 book, “Warren G. Harding and The Marion Daily Star: How Newspapering Shaped a President.” She has also authored a video script about the Hardings, designed educational programs about the Harding era, and written numerous newspaper and magazine articles.