Howard Hughes and Hollywood’s Golden Age Take Center Stage at Premiere of McFaddin-Ward House Museum’s Fall Lecture Series on Sept. 18
Beaumont, TX; Sept. 2, 2025 – The McFaddin-Ward House Museum will kick off its Fall 2025 Lecture Series on Thursday, Sept. 18, with “Howard Hughes and the Creation of Modern Hollywood,” a free public presentation by Jeffrey Richardson at 6:30 p.m. in the museum’s Visitor Center Lecture Hall (1906 Calder Avenue, Beaumont).
Howard Hughes was an aviator, industrialist, and eccentric, but he was also the most important movie producer during the golden age of Hollywood. Richardson, executive director of the McFaddin-Ward House Museum and author on the subject, will show how Hughes used his enormous wealth to revolutionize the industry, onscreen and off. From starlets to scandals, it is a story of sex, violence, movies, and money told through one of the most colorful characters in American history.
“Howard Hughes was a native Texan and true Renaissance man,” Richardson said. “Yet his tenure as a motion picture producer is the least known and least understood aspect of his remarkable life. With Hughes, the truth is always stranger–and far more fascinating–than anything Hollywood could have created.”
With an extensive background in museum management and historic preservation, Richardson has held key positions at a diverse range of cultural institutions across the country, from regional history museums and historic houses to Native cultural centers and public gardens. In March 2025, he assumed the role of executive director at the McFaddin-Ward House Museum, where he looks to build upon the organization’s remarkable history and legacy.
“I am honored to be the executive director of the McFaddin-Ward House,” Richardson said, “and I am excited to be the first lecturer for the fall 2025 season.”
In 2019, Richardson wrote “Howard Hughes and the Creation of Modern Hollywood,” the first in-depth profile of Hughes and his impact on the film industry. He is also the author of “Colt: The Revolver of the American West” and has appeared as an expert commentator on over a dozen television programs, including “Mysteries at the Museum,” “Pawn Stars,” “Storage Wars,” and “History Detectives.”
McFaddin-Ward House Museum lectures are admission-free and open to the public, but space is limited. Doors open at 6 p.m. For more information, call 409-832-2134.
For those unable to attend, the full lecture will be available for viewing on the museum YouTube Channel (youtube.com/@mcfaddinwardhouse) and website (mcfaddin-ward.org/about/videos) after the event.
Built in 1905-1906 in the distinctive Beaux-Arts Colonial style, the McFaddin-Ward House reflects the lifestyle of the prominent family that lived in the house for 75 years. The museum features admission-free tours, educational programming, year-round events, a carriage house exhibit, and gardens.
