Sept. 4 will be a day of new beginnings for the Hall Center for the Humanities.

That day, the center will kick off its 48th Humanities Lecture Series at Kansas University and have its ceremonial groundbreaking for its new $5 million building near Sunnyside Avenue and Sunflower Road.

The lecture series draws 2,500 to 5,000 audience members annually, making it one of the most popular on campus.

Five speakers are lined up for the 2003-2004 series:

• Peter Gay, historian and author, will lecture on “Modernism in Exile.” Gay is author of the 1998 book, “My German Question: Growing Up in Nazi Berlin,” in which he drew from his own experiences as an exile from Nazi Germany. He will speak at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 4 in the Kansas Union Ballroom.
• Victor Bailey, Hall Center director and KU history professor, will speak on “Winston Churchill: The Greatest Adventurer of Modern Political History.” Bailey’s speech, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 in the auditorium of the Spencer Museum of Art, will discuss how Churchill was transformed from a fanatical, alcoholic imperialist to one of the most trusted figures of his time.
• Sherman Alexie Jr., author and producer of the movie, “Smoke Signals,” will present a lecture on “Killing Indians: Myths, Lies and Exaggerations.” Alexie, who speaks at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Lied Center, draws from his own life experiences to break down American Indian stereotypes such as brave warriors, mystical shamans and poverty victims.
• Linda Stone-Ferrier, KU professor of art history, will speak on “The Rembrandt Research Project: Issues and Controversies” at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 in the auditorium at Spencer Museum of Art. Ferrier will address a long-standing project funded by the Dutch government to determine which paintings were by Rembrandt.
• E.O. Wilson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and biologist, will wrap up the series at 7 p.m. April 15 in the Lied Center. He will speak on “The Future of Life,” which combines the disciplines of biology, ecology and sociology to form a conservationist philosophy.

The lecture series draws 2,500 to 5,000 audience members annually, making it one of the most popular on campus.

Five speakers are lined up for the 2003-2004 series:

• Peter Gay, historian and author, will lecture on “Modernism in Exile.” Gay is author of the 1998 book, “My German Question: Growing Up in Nazi Berlin,” in which he drew from his own experiences as an exile from Nazi Germany. He will speak at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 4 in the Kansas Union Ballroom.
• Victor Bailey, Hall Center director and KU history professor, will speak on “Winston Churchill: The Greatest Adventurer of Modern Political History.” Bailey’s speech, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 in the auditorium of the Spencer Museum of Art, will discuss how Churchill was transformed from a fanatical, alcoholic imperialist to one of the most trusted figures of his time.
• Sherman Alexie Jr., author and producer of the movie, “Smoke Signals,” will present a lecture on “Killing Indians: Myths, Lies and Exaggerations.” Alexie, who speaks at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Lied Center, draws from his own life experiences to break down American Indian stereotypes such as brave warriors, mystical shamans and poverty victims.
• Linda Stone-Ferrier, KU professor of art history, will speak on “The Rembrandt Research Project: Issues and Controversies” at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 in the auditorium at Spencer Museum of Art. Ferrier will address a long-standing project funded by the Dutch government to determine which paintings were by Rembrandt.
• E.O. Wilson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and biologist, will wrap up the series at 7 p.m. April 15 in the Lied Center. He will speak on “The Future of Life,” which combines the disciplines of biology, ecology and sociology to form a conservationist philosophy.