Breakfast University
Dive into the American story with the nation's greatest history professors
In-person packages for the first semester are sold out, but livestream packages are still available.
Honor the United States of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026 with a unique, engaging learning opportunity that will enrich your understanding of the American story. The New York Historical and Thoughtful Productions present Breakfast University, a monthly lecture series beginning on January 5, 2026, and featuring some of the greatest history professors in the nation, who will present an original, provocative one-hour talk beginning at 9 am. Professors will be chosen based on their popularity and acclaim as determined by each college and university’s students and faculty. Every campus has at least one “superstar”—that’s who will be invited to Breakfast University.
Breakfast University will be offered in four-month semesters and ticket buyers will purchase entire semesters. The talks will take place live in The New York Historical’s Robert H. Smith Auditorium and will also be livestreamed. In addition to coffee and tea, a light breakfast related to the time period discussed in each lecture will be served and a Q&A will follow each presentation.
Breakfast will be served beginning at 8:15 am the morning of each program. Each lecture will run from 9 to 10 am.
Buy Livestream PackageWe will contact all registered attendees with instructions for viewing the livestream the day before and the day of the program. If you do not receive a message, please check your spam folder. Livestream tickets must be purchased prior to 7 am ET the day of each event. Any patrons who place livestream orders after 7 am ET will not receive a link for that morning's program.
The semester includes these lectures:
Monday, Feb. 2, 9 am
Hamilton vs. Jefferson: The Rivalry That Shaped America
Louis Masur, Rutgers University
As virtually everybody knows, Alexander Hamilton has experienced a well-deserved revival. He helped get the Constitution ratified, founded the Federalist Party, and served as the first Secretary of the Treasury—but was often forced to take a back seat to other Founding Fathers. His vision of America as an economic powerhouse with a dynamic and aggressive government eventually became reality. Thomas Jefferson, however, was not a fan! He fought bitterly against the Federalists, articulating a very different American vision from Hamilton’s, promoting an agrarian democracy built upon geographic expansion—he called it “an empire of liberty.” This riveting presentation will discuss in detail the policies of these two great Americans, and how their rivalry helped shape our nation.
Monday, March 2, 9 am
The President's Library: Books That Shaped Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR, and More
Joseph Luzzi, Bard College
The “President's Library” explores books that shaped some of the most powerful men ever to sit in the Oval Office. We will discuss why Washington was obsessed with a play about a Roman freedom fighter, how Jefferson came to have the largest personal library in the country; what drew Lincoln to Shakespeare so obsessively (and which Shakespeare play he loved most), which British poet Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorized as a child and read throughout his life, and even why John F. Kennedy was devoted to a spy novelist whose books would create one of the most film franchises in history.
Monday, April 13, 9 am
The Shifting Lens of History: How We Reimagine the Past
Stephanie Yuhl, College of the Holy Cross
From the kiss in Times Square to “Rosie the Riveter” to Saving Private Ryan, Americans tend to cherish their memories of WWII as “the best war ever.” Yet the Vietnam War remains controversial and brings up an entirely different set of images—from anti-war protests to the film Born on the Fourth of July. What helps explain these different understandings of two wars only 20 years apart? In this presentation, we will examine how different societies remember these wars and what those memories tell us about national hopes and values and generational change, and even about military decisions
Advance registration is required to guarantee seating. All sales are final; refunds and exchanges are not permitted. Programs and dates are subject to change. Management reserves the right to refuse admission to latecomers. Program tickets do not include Museum admission unless otherwise noted.
