Presented by Dr. Scott Giltner, Sperry Chair in Humanities, and Dr. Dylan Marney, Professor of Music, the program, The Life and Times of J.W. “Blind” Boone in Story and Song, offers an engaging look at one of Missouri’s most influential musicians. The event will take place in the Merillat Chapel in the Robert W. Brown Performing Arts Center on the Culver-Stockton campus. The event is free and open to the public.

“J.W. Boone, known as ‘Blind’ Boone, was born a slave and blinded from a young age. He overcame poverty, injustice, and disability to become one of the most famous and influential ragtime musicians of the late 19th and early 20th centuries,” explained Giltner. “His story is one of perseverance and triumph, an inspiring testament to resilience, talent, and the power of music.”

Through narration and performance, Giltner and Marney will bring Boone’s remarkable journey to life, inviting audiences to experience the humanity behind his extraordinary art.

The John A. Sperry Lecture honors the legacy of Dr. John A. Sperry Jr., a distinguished professor of humanities whose 35-year career at 91ֱ�� profoundly influenced generations of students. Dr. Sperry’s wife, Jean Sperry, established the Sperry Chair and Lecture in 1992 to commemorate her husband’s time at Culver-Stockton.

Dr. Sperry was the first recipient of the Fred Helsabeck Prize for Excellence in Teaching in 1980 and was recognized at the College’s 129th Founders Day Convocation. A World War II veteran and lifelong learner, he is remembered for his dedication to the humanities and his enduring impact on the academic community.

The lecture titled, “Alexander Campbell and James Shannon in Transatlantic Perspective: Education, Emigration, and the Disciples’ Deepest Divide,” will cover how before becoming prominent in the Restoration Movement, Alexander Campbell and James Shannon shared common roots in revolutionary Northern Ireland. In the aftermath of the violent chaos of the 1798 rebellion and subsequent imposition of Union with Great Britain, both men would leave for America. But they would arrive in very different ways to very different places. Their backgrounds in Northern Ireland and the circumstances of their respective journeys to America will be examined as key context for their later views on slavery, which became the most divisive issue among the Disciples by the 1840s and 1850s.

John A. Sperry Jr. was a distinguished professor of humanities throughout his 35-year career at Culver-Stockton and was awarded emeritus status upon his retirement. He was best known for his enthusiasm and breadth of knowledge in the subjects of history and humanities. Sperry served with the U.S. Army in World War II. He graduated from three universities and received several honorary degrees. Jean Sperry, John’s wife, established the Sperry Chair and Lecture in 1992 to commemorate her husband’s time at Culver-Stockton. The annual lecture honors Sperry for his dedication to the Culver-Stockton community. Dr. Scott Giltner joined the Culver-Stockton faculty in August 2005. He teaches courses in history with topics such as U.S. history before 1865 and since 1865, sports in American history, African American history, America in the 1950s and 1960s, American history through film, and the Civil War era. He has served Culver-Stockton as chair of the history department, director of experiential learning, and associate division chair. Dr. Giltner was appointed Sperry Chair in 2023.

Giltner was one of the inaugural recipients of the Dome Award, which recognizes C-SC employees who have played an important role in the advancement of the College, during the Alumni Honors Banquet in October 2019. He was one of the three inaugural recipients of the Blue Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching presented by the Culver-Stockton Teacher Organization in 2019.

Dr. Scott Giltner joined the Culver-Stockton faculty in August 2005. He teaches courses in history with topics such as U.S. history before 1865 and since 1865, sports in American history, African American history, America in the 1950s and 1960s, American history through film, and the Civil War era. He has served Culver-Stockton as chair of the history department, director of experiential learning, and associate division chair.

Giltner was one of the inaugural recipients of the Dome Award, which recognizes C-SC employees who have played an important role in the advancement of the College, during the Alumni Honors Banquet in Oct. 2019. He was one of the three inaugural recipients of the Blue Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching presented by the Culver-Stockton Teacher Organization in 2019.

John A. Sperry Jr. was a distinguished professor of humanities throughout his 35-year career at Culver-Stockton and was awarded emeritus status upon his retirement. He was best known for his enthusiasm and breadth of knowledge in the subjects of history and humanities.

Sperry served with the U.S. Army in World War II. He graduated from three universities and received several honorary degrees. Jean Sperry, John’s wife, established the Sperry Chair and Lecture in 1992 to commemorate her husband’s time at Culver-Stockton. The annual lecture honors Sperry for his dedication to the Culver-Stockton community.