Milestones & Cornerstones
Friday, Oct. 27 – Saturday, Oct. 28
A year of milestones – from the founding of the American Battle Monuments Commission to the construction of the Liberty Memorial – 1923 ushered in a new era of military commemoration in the wake of WWI. Remembrance became less about victory and more about peace: monuments and cemeteries, enshrining the memory of those who served and sacrificed, were built not as trophies of the past but as touchstones for the future.
Even a century later, these sites stand – amid the horror and disillusionment of war – as sentinels of hope. Join us as we commemorate the war with engaging conversations on military actions, the people who served, and the ways we remember them.
In partnership with the American Battle Monuments Commission, the League of WWI Aviation Historians, and the World War 1 Historical Association.
New this year
The League of WWI Aviation Historians is hosting an Autumn seminar (immediately following the Museum and Memorial's symposium) on Saturday, Oct. 28 and Sunday, Oct. 29. Register through the Museum and Memorial below.
Who should attend?
All who have a general or professional interest in the periods prior to, during and after World War I. We especially recommend this symposium to educators, historians and members of organizations that study these periods. Past symposia
Stay tuned for updates on speakers and topics!
Schedule
Thursday, Oct. 26
10 a.m.-5 p.m. — Museum and Memorial open
3-5 p.m. — Check-in at Museum and Memorial Guest Services
Friday, Oct. 27
10 a.m.-5 p.m. — Museum and Memorial open
7:30-8 a.m. — Shuttle service from the Hampton Inn Hotel to the Museum and Memorial
8:30-8:40 a.m. — Welcome | Matthew Naylor
8:40-9:40 a.m. — Session 1
9:40-10 a.m. — Break | Museum Store opens
10-11 a.m. — Session 2
11 a.m.-noon — Session 3
Noon-1 p.m. — Lunch at the Museum and Memorial | Book Signing
1-2 p.m. — Session 4
2-2:15 p.m. — Break
2:15-3:15 p.m. — Session 5
3:35-3:50 p.m. — Break
3:50-4:50 p.m. — Session 6
4:50-5:30 p.m. — Shuttle service between the Museum and Memorial and the Hampton Inn Hotel
5:30-6 p.m. — Reception
6-7:30 p.m. — Dinner | Session 7
7:30-8 p.m. — Shuttle service from the Museum and Memorial to the Hampton Inn Hotel
Saturday, Oct. 28
10 a.m.-5 p.m. — Museum and Memorial open
7:30-8 a.m. — Shuttle service from the Hampton Inn Hotel to the Museum and Memorial
8 a.m. — Doors open
8:30-9:30 a.m. — Session 8
9:30-9:45 a.m. — Break
9:45-10:45 a.m. — Session 9
10:45-11:45 a.m. — Session 10
11:45 a.m.-noon — Closing Remarks | Lora Vogt
12:15-1 p.m. — Lunch at the Museum and Memorial
12:30-1:30 p.m. — Shuttle service from the Museum and Memorial to the Hampton Inn Hotel
Register
National WWI Museum and Memorial Symposium (Oct. 27-28)
| Early Bird (ends Oct. 1) | Regular (after Oct. 1) | |
|---|---|---|
| General Registration | $215 | $250 |
| Museum Volunteers | $125 | $125 |
| Teacher/Student | $60 | $75 |
| Online Only | $60 | $60 |
| Reception Only | $45 | $45 |
The League of WWI Aviation Historians Seminar (Oct. 28-29)
| Early Bird (ends Oct. 1) | Regular (after Oct. 1) | |
|---|---|---|
| General Registration | $215 | $250 |
Combination Symposium and Seminar (Oct. 27-29)
| General Registration | $400 |
Hotel Information
A discounted block of rooms is set aside at the Hampton Inn & Suites Kansas City - Country Club Plaza. Please use this link to book your room at the special Symposium rate or contact the hotel for further information. To receive the special rate, reservations must be completed by Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023.
Refund Policy
The Museum and Memorial will honor a 50 percent refund on registration fees until Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. On Oct. 7 and beyond, no refunds will be granted. Attendees may contact Mark Gunter at 816.888.8103 to request a refund.
In partnership with
Past Symposia
Shifting Tides: Citizenship in a World of Conflict
Nov. 4-5, 2022
Engulfed by four years of total war, the world emerged transformed. Amid the unfamiliarity of wartime and post-war societies, populations were both bound by tradition and buoyed by bids to reshape political, economic and social landscapes.
Fractured Fronts
Oct. 29-30, 2021
As the Great War “ended,” many questions confronted the global community that remain just as pressing today as they did one hundred years ago: How does war impact how we understand ourselves and our place in the world? What does it mean to “come home” when the places and people you called home have changed irrevocably?
1919: Peace?
Nov. 1-2, 2019
1919 was a year of sweeping changes in a landscape dramatically altered by years of unrelenting warfare. Leaders advanced towards elusive peace amid political instability, economic uncertainty and social conflict. As terms of the Treaty of Versailles were negotiated, a world reordered faced decisions and realities that would leave a complex legacy.
1918: Crucible of War
Nov. 1-3, 2018
Explore the irrevocable changes five years of cataclysmic conflict wrought on the global stage. As borders were literally and figuratively redrawn, Allies celebrated a victory and the world came to terms with the irreparable devastation and losses of the “war to end all wars.”
1917: America Joins the Fight
Nov. 3-4, 2017
The United States emerged from its traditional isolation in 1917 and began to take its place in the forefront of world affairs. As the U.S. mobilized its farms, industries, and formed a large army, it confronted curtailing civil liberties and faced a possible demand for equity in return for support.
Remembering Muted Voices
Oct. 19-22, 2017
Although the U.S. actively took part in the conflict for only 18 months, the war effort introduced mass conscription, transformed the American economy and mobilized popular support through war bonds, patriotic rallies and anti-German propaganda. Nevertheless, many people desired a negotiated peace, opposed American intervention, refused to support the war effort and even imagined future world orders that could eliminate war.
1916: Total War
Nov. 4-5, 2016
Explore the pivotal year of 1916, where global socio-political tensions created by World War I continued escalation and irrevocably changed the economic, military, and cultural landscape of the world.
1915: Empires at War
Nov. 6-7, 2015
Explore the rising tensions in America and the globally escalating conflict that defined the world in 1915. Follow the trajectories of different countries around the world as the conflict escalated to total war, including fighting in the colonies and East Asia, stalemate in the West, Churchill’s disaster at Gallipoli, mobilization at home, and the polarization of American society around the issue of war.
1914: Global War and American Neutrality
Nov. 7-8, 2014
Examine the origins of, reactions to and early confrontations in the First World War including the political, diplomatic, military, cultural and scientific developments prior to the war that contributed to its outbreak.