America’s National Churchill Museum commemorated the 75th anniversary of Winston Churchill’s "Sinews of Peace" address, commonly known as the "Iron Curtain" speech. On March 5-6, 2021, the world was invited to a virtual commemoration, live from Westminster’s Historic Gymnasium and other Churchill-related sites on campus. Dignitaries, leaders, and members of the Churchill family participated from all parts of the world and joined the Westminster community for a memorable celebration.
The livestreamed program began on Friday, March 5 at 10 am CST and events continued until 4 pm CST. An installation of Churchill Fellows took place on Saturday, March 6 at 10 am CST.
Friday, March 5 (begins at 10:00 am CST)
Click to watch the replay of each segment.
10 am – The Churchill-Truman Legacy, a discussion with Clementine and Winston Churchill's granddaughter The Hon. Edwina Sandys and President Harry Truman's grandson Clifton Truman Daniel. Their discussion will be moderated by Museum director Timothy Riley and Kurt Graham, director of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library.
11 am – Winston S. Churchill Leadership Medal Award presentation and tribute to Dr. Monroe E. Trout, including a Churchill documentary narrated by previous Leadership Award recipient Walter Cronkite
Discussion with past John Findley Green Foundation Lecturers William Roedy, former chairman and CEO of MTV International, and Bob Geldof, musician and humanitarian
12 pm – 34th Enid and R. Crosby Kemper Lecture on "Churchillian Realism" by George F. Will, Pulitzer Prize-winning commentator (transcript)
1 pm – Reflections on "Sinews of Peace"
Greetings from Dame Karen Pierce, British Ambassador to the United States, Yael Lempert, Chargé d’Affaires at the United States Embassy in London, and Mark Sutherland
Commentary from Churchill Fellows, historians, and Churchill family members. Guests include Andrew Roberts, Gen. (Ret) David Petraeus, Randolph Churchill, Allen Packwood, Catherine Katz, Justin Reash, Lee Pollock, David Freeman, Craig Horn, Tobias Gibson, Philip Boeckman, Richard Mahoney, Earl Harbison, Jr., and others.
2 pm – "Conversations with Crosby: Churchill Today," a panel discussion about the enduring nature of the "Sinews of Peace," Churchill’s legacy, and the role of the Museum today with historian Andrew Roberts, Sandra L. and Monroe E. Trout Director and Chief Curator Timothy Riley, and R. Crosby Kemper III, Director of Institute for Museums and Library Services (IMLS), a federal agency. Hosted by the Institute for Museums and Library Services (IMLS).
3 pm – World premiere of Franta and Winston, a new documentary by Steve Stinson about the Museum's iconic sculpture of Winston Churchill by Franta Belsky (Czech-British, 1921-2000)
3:45 pm – Opening of Sinews of Peace: The Power of Prose, a virtual exhibition examining the near-final draft of the "Iron Curtain" speech in the collection of America's National Churchill Museum. Typewritten with final hand-written additions dictated by Churchill to his secretary Jo Sturdee, the draft reveals Churchill's last-minute changes, rhetorical flourishes, and edits to the famous speech. The exhibit was created by America’s National Churchill Museum and students at Westminster College in Fulton, MO. Virtual exhibit made possible by the Anson Cutts Gallery Endowment. Visit the virtual exhibit
Saturday, March 6 (begins at 8:00 am CST)
8 am – C-SPAN's Washington Journal devoted a live hour-long program about the "Sinews of Peace" from America's National Churchill Museum. The Washington Journal aired on C-SPAN3 at 8 am, 7 pm, and 11 pm; it was not livestreamed by the Museum. C-SPAN also dedicated expanded coverage from March 5-7 to 31 programs featuring the Museum, Winston Churchill, and Westminster College including past John Findley Green Foundation Lectures by Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, and others.
10 am – Installation of new Churchill Fellows of Westminster College including:
In Memoriam: A Tribute to Churchillians Lost
The "Sinews of Peace" 75th Anniversary virtual commemoration is free and open to the public thanks to the generosity of Mr. William Reller, Dr. Monroe E. and Sandra Trout, Harold Oakley, Signe Oakley, and the Edwin Malloy Jr. Endowment for America's National Churchill Museum. Additional support provided by Colin Brown, Barbara and Richard J. Mahoney, Philip and Erin Boeckman, Anonymous, Isabelle and Jean-Paul Montupet, Keith Harbison, Earle Harbison, Jr., William and Susan Piper, Kathleen Utz, John Pope, Ed Hardin, John and Carla Marshall, and the International Churchill Society.
“Leave the past to history especially as I propose to write that history myself.”
