The 2026-2027 Lunch Talks season kicks off in September!

All talks are held in the Tempe History Museum's Community Room at 11:30 a.m. on the second Wednesday of the month.

Louis Carlos Bernal: The Godfather and Icon of Arizona’s Chicano Fine Art Photography by Anita Huizar-Hernández

11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, September 9

Louis Carlos Bernal’s “Benitez Suite” photos of 1977 capture Borderlands life against the forces that sought to destroy it. Dr. Huizar-Hernandez introduces some of Bernal's main contributions to Chicano fine art photography, focusing especially on his Benítez Suite. Stop by Tempe History Museum for this free talk presented by Tempe History Society with generous support from Friendship Village.

Hispanics in Tempe: The Story of Victory Acres by D. A. Romero

11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, October 14

Victory Acres emerged during an era of post-war prosperity and development. The neighborhood served as a place of resilience and cultural identity even in times of displacement and urban renewal. D.A. Romero, a fifth-generation Arizonan, seeks to reflect on the strength of a community while recognizing the complex history still being written. Stop by Tempe History Museum for this free talk presented by Tempe History Society with generous support from Friendship Village.

Rising from Invisibility: Indigenous Arizona Women in Charge of Themselves by Laura Tohe

11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, November 18

In many Southwestern matrifocal cultures, Indigenous women’s lives are modeled after female heroes and sacred women who exemplify and express courage and kinship values. Laura Tohe, Arizona’s Poet Laureate and former Navajo Nation Poet Laureate, shares how Indigenous women have contributed in significant ways to their tribal nations, and to contemporary American life. Stop by Tempe History Museum for this free talk presented by Tempe History Society with generous support from Friendship Village.

Arizona’s Wild Territorial Days and Its Economic Development Through Statehood by Al Quihuis

11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, January 13, 2027

The driving forces behind Arizona’s wild frontier prior to Statehood were the 5C’s: copper, cattle, cotton, citrus, and climate. Local Award-Winning author Albert Monreal Quihuis takes us through the wild history of Arizona to discover if the 5 C’s remain as important today than they did in the past, and whether new 5 C’s have emerged. Museum for this free talk presented by Tempe History Society with generous support from Friendship Village.

Delirium in Older Adults by Dr. Johannah Uriri-Glover

11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, February 10, 2027

Delirium is a change in mental abilities that can develop suddenly and is a medical emergency, especially for older adults. Dr. Johannah Uriri-Glover explains why older adults are at a higher risk for delirium due to normal aging changes in the brain or chronic health conditions, and why early recognition is important for treating the causes of delirium. Museum for this free talk presented by Tempe History Society with generous support from Friendship Village.

Mary Lou Gulley and the Legacy of the Mystery Castle by Dr. Summer Cherland

11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, March 10, 2027

When Mary Lou Gulley, the proprietress of the Mystery Castle, died in her late 80s, she left behind more than a mystery. Dr. Summer Cherland introduces Mary Lou Gulley, a gifted artist, writer, and show-woman in her own words using a collection of rare photographs, documents, artwork, and artifacts newly assembled at South Mountain Community College. Museum for this free talk presented by Tempe History Society with generous support from Friendship Village.

Morphine and Mayhem in the Arizona Territory by Eduardo Pagán

11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, April 14, 2027

Professor and author Eduardo Pagán will share the story of his book that traces the life of Georgie Clifford through sex work, morphine addiction, and incarceration to uncover a hidden “tumbleweed underworld” of narcotics, gendered violence, and vice in the Arizona Territory. Her story illuminates the early opioid crisis in the United States and its enduring implications for the history of crime, medicine, and the Old West. Museum for this free talk presented by Tempe History Society with generous support from Friendship Village.

The Matriarchs of Washington Park by Bruce Nelson

11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, May 12, 2027

Local documentary filmmaker and curator Bruce Nelson explores the lives of the African American women who demonstrated courageous efforts of community activism, artistry, and kinship in the face of racism and misogyny. This exceptional group of black women endured and remembered firsthand the days of the American Reconstruction Era “Jim Crow Laws,” Spanish American War, WWI, “The Great Depression,” WWII, Redlining, the 1960’s modern Civil Rights Movement, and much more. Museum for this free talk presented by Tempe History Society with generous support from Friendship Village. 

Past 2025-26 Lunch Talks

Samuel Brown and Tempe’s Mexican and American Frontier Heritage by Dr. Pete Dimas

Samuel Brown (1852-1937) is an influential bilingual-bicultural Mexican American politician and long-time Tempe Schools leader in the late 1890s. During his 25-year Presidency of the nationally known civil-rights organization, the Alianza Hispano Americana, with roots in Tempe, Samuel Brown fought against the segregation and racial discrimination of Mexicanos in the Northern frontier of Arizona. Dr. Pete Dimas, former History Professor at Phoenix College, is producer and director of the documentary series “Arizona’s Mexican Heritage: An American Story.”

Cinema’s Impact on Día de los Muertos Traditions by Dr. Mathew Sandoval

Mexican, US, and European filmmakers have depicted Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in movies for nearly a hundred years. These cinematic representations have deeply impacted the way this long-standing cultural tradition is celebrated by communities on both sides of the US-Mexico border.  Dr. Sandoval will explain how movies have affected local Día de los Muertos celebrations in the Valley.  Dr. Mathew Sandoval is an award-winning scholar and teacher at ASU’s Barrett the Honors College.  His work on Day of the Dead has been featured on PBS, NBC Today Show, NPR, Washington Post, LA Times, and Arizona Republic.

Where is South Phoenix: In Four Stories by Dr. Summer Cherland

Using archival research, oral history, and community surveys, Professor Cherland explores the geographical and historic boundaries of South Phoenix history from Territorial Arizona to the contemporary period and explains how political and social histories continue to shape perceptions of South Phoenix. The talk emphasizes the contributions of student-researchers affiliated with the South Phoenix Oral History Project at South Mountain Community College. Dr. Summer Cherland, Historian at South Mountain Community College, teaches courses on the history of racial/ethnic minorities of Arizona. She directs the South Phoenix Oral History Project, a student-led initiative to capture, document and preserve the history of South Phoenix.

Tempe's Enigmatic Danelle Plaza by Rob Moore

Danelle Plaza's unique disposition represents a local cultural nexus to some and an obstruction to progress to others. By exploring this mid-century retail center's creation and evolution, we better understand how one of Tempe's most 'enigmatic' places came to be so controversial while also playing a critical role in nurturing the community's local art, live music and small business scene. Rob Moore is a resident and small business owner in Tempe. Moore coordinates 'The Danelle Project' as a community effort to both support and build awareness about the plaza's historic and ongoing cultural, social economic contributions while advocating for a redevelopment solution that embraces its local identity and community assets.

Researching Ancestors in Louisiana: Who are my Grandmother's People by Black Family Genealogy and History Society

This presentation highlights a granddaughter’s efforts to put the puzzle pieces of her maternal grandmother’s family in order, using oral history, photographs, sacramental records of the Catholic Church, vital records, and more. The Black Family Genealogy and History Society (BFGHS) is an educational, inclusive organization dedicated to encouraging interest in family history and genealogical research, especially within African American communities. BFGHS promotes ethical research practices, provides guidance on preserving historical documents, and welcomes people of all ethnicities and cultures to participate fully in its activities.

Grácia Liliana Fernández: the Bilingual Heroine Who Made the Tempe Normal School Famous by Dr. Chris Marin

When Tempe Normal School was established in 1886, it had no Spanish curriculum nor a bilingual professor to teach Spanish to enrolled TNS students, despite the demand to train bilingual teachers to educate Spanish-speaking pupils in Arizona’s elementary schools. They were taught by white teachers who didn’t speak nor understand Spanish. Spanish-speaking children continued to fail and progress in their education. Twenty-one years later, Bilingual Education was born at TNS in 1907.  Dr. Christine Marin, Historian/Archivist and Professor Emeriti at ASU, is the founder and director of the Chicano/a Research Collection and Archives at the Hayden Library at ASU. Dr. Marin is President of the Tempe History Society and is a native of Globe, Arizona and grew up on the legendary street, Euclid Avenue.

Three Bedrooms and a Carport by Scott Solliday

In the late 1940s, America’s postwar boom brought prosperity, which generally meant a new house and a new car for middle class families. This changed everything, here and across the country. New neighborhoods and roads quickly spread out from Tempe in every direction. Look around! Half of Tempe still showcases the new modern mid-century architecture of that time, the Ranch style house. Learn the secrets of how a basic box with smooth lines and simple details became America’s favorite house. Scott Solliday is currently Senior Cultural Resource Specialist (historian and archaeologist) at HDR Engineering but once was a curator at the Tempe History Museum.

The Valley’s Victorian Jewel: The Evolving Story of Petersen House and Tempe by Josh Roffler

Tempe’s Petersen House has been a local icon since it’s construction as a farmhouse in 1892. Come learn about the various eras of this fascinating home and how it fits into the larger history of our region. Josh Roffler is the Manager of Tempe History Museum. He began his museum career as the onsite staff at Petersen House and has spent countless hours soaking up the history and atmosphere of this very special property.  

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