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Meet David Carlyon and the most famous man you’ve never heard of

carlyon_convoLike Stephen Colbert? Love “The Daily Show”? The precursor to these politically minded comics was the 19th-century clown Dan Rice. He was a friend to Abraham Lincoln, influenced Mark Twain, and was a favorite of Walt Whitman. His character served as the model for “Uncle Sam.” Dan Rice was so famous in his day, he even ran for President!

The Humanities & Fine Arts Convocation speaker David Carlyon is the author of Dan Rice: The Most Famous Man You’ve Never Heard Of. Carlyon examines the life of Dan Rice, the 19th-century icon who lived at the intersections of art and politics, pop culture and celebrity, with revealing points of comparison for our own times.

The convocation will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 10am in Hoversten Chapel. Admission is free. A book signing will follow. Continue reading “Meet David Carlyon and the most famous man you’ve never heard of”