As part of America 250, Athens State will be hosting storyteller Brian “Fox” Ellis as he portrays John Adams in “John Adams, Architect of Our American Independence”. The event will be held in McCandless Hall on Tuesday, July 7 at 2:00 pm and will be free and open to the public.
This interactive program invites attendees to move beyond passive observation and actively engage as participants in a thoughtful, scholarly dialogue on the ideas that shaped the nation. Blending conversational storytelling with a reverse Q&A format, Ellis prompts audience members to reflect and discuss key questions with their peers, fostering meaningful exchange and personal connection to the material.
Through a series of compelling, true stories from the founding era, the program explores the events and principles that led to the creation of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Portraying John Adams—a Boston Brahmin and one of the most influential legal minds of the thirteen colonies—Ellis guides participants through pivotal moments in American history while encouraging discussion on the rights, responsibilities, and shared values that define the nation.
Engaging and thought-provoking, the program challenges participants to consider what it truly means to be an American, emphasizing both the enduring legacy of the country’s founding and the collective responsibility to shape its future.
Brian “Fox” Ellis is an internationally acclaimed author, storyteller, historian, and naturalist. He has worked with The Denver Museum of Science and Nature, The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, The Field Museum and dozens of other museums across the country.
Fox is a frequent keynote speaker at regional and international conferences including the International Wetlands Conservation Conference, National Science Teachers Association Conference and the North American Prairie Conservation Conference.
Fox has hosted, produced, researched and written several documentaries for PBS. He is the author of more than 30 books including three books of poetry, a series of biographies, History In Person, and a series of collections of folklore, Fox Tales Folklore. He has two collections of stories with lesson plans: Learning From the Land: Teaching Ecology Through Stories and Activities, and Content Area Reading, Writing and Storytelling. Many of his stories are also available on his podcast and YouTube channels, Fox Tales International and History in Person.
Currently Fox is the Director of Membership and Outreach for the Illinois Audubon Society, where he edits their quarterly magazine.
For more information, please visit www.athens.edu/JohnAdams.