The Home Page Network

Photo provided
Lester Ward is pictured during his lifetime.

At 7 p.m. this coming Wednesday, May 3 in the Deane Center’s handicapped accessible Grand Community Room at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro will be the free showing of Gale Largey’s film “Lester F. Ward: A Life’s Journey (1841 to 1913).” Donations are always appreciated.

This film was to be shown on Wednesday, Feb. 22 but due to weather conditions was rescheduled.

The documentary about Ward was featured at the 2005 Centennial of the American Sociological Association and later aired at different times on regional public television.

Among its viewers was Davy Jones, lead singer of The Monkees, a popular 1960s and 70s music group. Jones contacted Largey, told him how much he liked the film and invited him to one of his concerts during which Jones highly encouraged his audience to see it on PBS.

Who is Ward, what were his ideas and why is he important?

During the one-hour and 48-minute film written, directed and produced by Largey, Jack M. Wilcox, former music professor at Mansfield University, speaks in the first person as the voice of Lester, using Ward’s own words and statements to tell his story and answer those questions.

Ward was a teenager in Iowa when his father died. He walked and hitchhiked to Towanda in Bradford County where his brother Cyrus had a wagon wheel shop. Lester’s wife and only child are buried in Bradford County.

He had a long career in Washington, D.C. as a noted American botanist and paleontologist before becoming known as the “Founder of American Sociology.”

As Chief Paleontologist for the United States, he wrote the report that served as the basis for Teddy Roosevelt “saving” the Petrified Forest from destruction.

Ward served as the first president of the American Sociological Association and wrote the first books used to teach sociology in the United States.

One of his famous quotes is “People are equal in all except privilege.” Ward vigorously advocated for public education and the rights of women and minorities.

As a staunch believer in equality, Ward joined the Bradford County Civil War volunteers, fought at Fredericksburg and was wounded twice. His wife worked in the camps for freed slaves.

Ward was also involved in the founding of Howard University and, as an editor of the publication “The Iconclast” was among the first to publish the writings of Frederick Douglass.

Largey will introduce the 2005 film and point out interesting aspects of its production. After the showing, he will host a question and answer session with the audience.

The next Largey films to be shown will be “People of Honor WWII” and a short titled “The Helmet” on Saturday, May 20 Armed Forces Day at 7 p.m. in the Coolidge Theatre at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro. Donations will be given to Goodies For Our Troops.

For more information, call the Deane Center at (570) 724-6220.

Diane Eaton
dianetn@ptd.net
(570) 724-3800