McMillan Lecture Series

In 1994, Mr. and Mrs. James T. McMillan II established an endowed annual lectureship in memory of their late son, William Charles McMillan III. The purpose of their gift is two-fold: to honor William's tremendous intellectual curiosity and energetic pursuit of all subjects; and to emphasize and promote the importance of elementary education each year by inviting a nationally known speaker to The Grosse Pointe Academy each year.

The last four lectures are now available on-line. For a printed booklet from a lecture prior to 2005, please contact the Advancement Office at 313-886-1221 x180 or e-mail Mary Beth Westwood at mwestwood@gpacademy.org.

A list of speakers is also available.

No: Why Kids Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It
Dr. David Walsh
October 28, 2008

Queen Bees & Wannabes: What the Rules of "Girl World" and "Boy World" Mean to a Teen
Rosalind Wiseman
October 9, 2007

The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Raising Self-Reliant, Optimistic Children in a Nervous World
Dr. Wendy Mogel
October 10, 2006

The Early Childhood Brain
Eric Jensen
October 11, 2005

About William

William was a student at The Grosse Pointe Academy from 1973 until 1981 where, receiving love and encouragement, he learned to reach beyond his limitations.

Although weak physically, William was intellectually gifted and his passion for life, his love and concern for all living things, and his enthusiastic use of verbal skills changed the lives of those who were closest to him and left a lasting impression on all with whom he came in contact.

Never at a loss for words, he was bursting with impressions, questions and insights which came pouring out in a dazzling, dizzying torrent. It was rare to have a brief, superficial conversation with William. A friend commented, “I sometimes felt like I needed a seat belt when William was talking to me, because William would take us into outer space, back into primeval history, and then into a universe of his own imagining.”

William believed that anyone could make a significant and lasting impact on the world no matter what one’s age, size or circumstance.

These lectures on elementary education are dedicated to the proposition that every child can reach beyond his or her own limitation, that each child makes the world a better place. It is the goal of these lectures to take your mind where it has never been. So, fasten your seat belt and get ready to enter the universe of imagining - a gift to you from William.