WWII memories at Winchester Academy

Dr. Andrew Williams will present "Looking Back at How We Look Back: World War II in Myth and Memory" at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 16, at the Waupaca Area Public Library.

Hosted by Winchester Academy, the program is free and open to the public.

An assistant professor in the Department of Art and Design History at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Williams will explain how the memories and beliefs about World War II actually shape the understanding of the here and now.

He will discuss how changes in the nature of public remembrance of World War II are related to the Cold War, the 50th anniversary of WWII and the War on Terror.

The past, he contends, resurfaces in the present - from museums and veterans' groups to literature, films and even digital games.

Williams is a 1999 graduate of Iola-Scandinavia High School. He attended UW-Stevens Point, where he graduated in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in history.

He was a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and received an Albertson Award, the highest honor presented by UW-SP.

Williams earned a master's degree in 2005 and a doctoral degree in 2011, both from UW-Madison. His major areas of study were design history and material culture. He has been presenting related material at professional conferences and audiences since 2004.

Robert and Stella Williams, of Iola, are the sponsors of this program, dedicating it to the memory of Gordon Peterson, of Iola, who died in Korean combat in 1952 just days before he was to return home.