Political Science Professor Chris McDonald, Ph.D., will present “From Springfield to Schlestadt” on Saturday, April 11 from 9 to 10 a.m. The presentation is being held in the Trutter Center. The public is invited to the free event.
Professor McDonald’s presentation is based on his new book, “‘Three Lying or Four Sitting’—From the Front in a Ford,” which gives an eyewitness account of World War I through the letters of Springfield native and Harvard student Kent Dunlap Hagler. Professor McDonald will provide a glimpse of Mr. Hagler’s life as an ambulance driver and the local connection to the Great War.
In “‘Three Lying or Four Sitting’—From the Front in a Ford,” Professor McDonald provides commentary and a personal account of someone serving on the Great War’s front lines through the detailed, literate and humorous letters of Mr. Hagler. Mr. Hagler came from a prominent family in Springfield. He left Springfield for Harvard University where, after being denied entry into the United States military forces, he decided to become a volunteer ambulance driver with the American Field Service. Over a two-year period, Mr. Hagler sent home many letters describing his experiences in the First World War.
A book signing will follow the presentation. Copies of the book will be available for purchase. Cost of the book is $19.95, plus tax. All proceeds from book sales will benefit the LLCC Foundation general scholarship fund in honor of Kent Dunlap Hagler.