Remembering Route 66 with Leslie Goddard, PhD

The name evokes images of gas stations, mom-and-pop motels, quirky attractions, and adventure on the open road. In this nostalgia-packed lecture, historian Leslie Goddard explores the history of Route 66, the iconic road that linked Chicago to Los Angeles from 1926 until its closing in the mid-1980s. Learn why Route 66 remains so indelibly associated with the lore of the American road trip. What was Route 66 like at its pinnacle – and what is it today?

Leslie Goddard is a lifelong resident of the Chicago area and holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University and Master’s degrees in museum studies and in theater. She has been lecturing and performing on history topics for more than twenty years with particular expertise in the fields of U.S. history and popular culture.