McFaddin-Ward House Lecture to Feature The National WWII Museum

Beaumont, TX; Apr. 5, 2024 – The McFaddin-Ward House will present “WWII Lessons and Legacies: The National WWII Museum’s Arsenal of Democracy Exhibit and Manufacturing Victory for the Allies,” a free public lecture by Dr. Michael Bell on Thursday, April 18, at 6:30 p.m. in the museum’s Visitor Center Lecture Hall (located at 1906 Calder Avenue in Beaumont).

Executive director of the Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Dr. Bell will highlight impactful artifacts and insights from one of the museum’s key galleries, detailing how allied victory was an epic undertaking fueled by stateside industry, ingenuity, and the labor of millions of patriotic Americans and showcasing this often-overlooked aspect of America’s role in winning the war.

Commissioned in Armor following graduation from West Point, Dr. Bell is a combat veteran, historian, and strategist who has served at every level of the armed forces from platoon through theater army, as well as with U.S. Central Command, the Joint Staff, the West Point faculty, and the National Defense University. As a civilian faculty member at the National Defense University, he also served details to the Office of the Secretary of State and as a National Security Council Senior Director and Special Assistant to the President of the United States.

Dr. Bell holds an M.A. and a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Maryland and an M.S. in national security strategy from the National Defense University, where he was a distinguished graduate of the National War College. His awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, two awards of the Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star, Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award, Joint Staff Badge, and Combat Action Badge.

McFaddin-Ward House lectures are free and open to the public, but space is limited. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Built in 1905-1906 in the distinctive Beaux-Arts Colonial style, the McFaddin-Ward House reflects the lifestyle of the prominent family which lived in the house for 75 years. The museum features free tours, educational programming, year-round events, a carriage house, and gardens.

For more information, call 409-832-2134 or visit mcfaddin-ward.org.