since 1981 scholars statesmen and women and others have delivered lectures from the historic christopher wren church of saint mary the virgin alderman berry to share with us thoughts on churchill the anglo-american relation and other topics other speakers have included andrew roberts, sir, martin gilbert lady mary soames and others all of whom have been this distinguished lecture series. today we present the 34th needed in our crosby kemper lecture and the first to be delivered virtually to a global audience and to introduce today's speaker. i am pleased to welcome churchill fellow and the current director of the institute for museum and library services. crosby kemper great. thank you very much tim. i appreciate that introduction and i in the early 1990s george will came to kansas city to speak. i'm sure he won't remember this, but i was conducting a fan campaign with petitions and banners and bumper stickers to bring real grass to the field at royals now kauffman stadium. i was honored to sit next to him at lunch and he gave me a learned disquisition on seven layered composition of gra