News & Press

David Brooks to Provide Keynote Address at Plimoth Patuxet Museums’ 75th Anniversary Fundraiser

Milestone event on October 15 will support the Museum’s educational mission

Plimoth Patuxet Museums is proud to announce David Brooks as the keynote speaker for its 75th Anniversary fundraiser on October 15 at the Museum’s Hornblower Visitor Center.

David Brooks is one of America’s most prominent political commentators. He writes a bi-weekly OpEd column for the New York Times. He is a regular analyst on PBS NewsHour and on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. Brooks has a gift for bringing audiences face to face with the spirit of our times with humor, insight and quiet passion. Brooks’ New York Times bestseller, The Road to Character, explores the path to a deeper inner life and explains why selflessness leads to greater success. In his most recent book, The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life, Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. His previous books include The Social Animal, On Paradise Drive, and Bobos in Paradise. He worked at The Wall Street Journal for nine years and has written for The New Yorker, Forbes, The Washington Post, and many other periodicals.

“We are honored to have David Brooks as our keynote speaker for this major milestone event,” said Ellie Donovan, Plimoth Patuxet Museums Executive Director. “His deep thinking on character, community, connection, and values are relevant to the remarkable and complex history we interpret here at the Museum.”

Plimoth Patuxet’s 75th anniversary event illuminates the rich legacy and achievements of this acclaimed Museum’s educational mission. A cultural destination for heritage tourism, the Museum preserves history, provides engaging educational experiences for people of all ages and is an economic anchor in Massachusetts’ vital tourism industry.

In addition to David Brooks as the keynote speaker, the evening will consist of a reception, live music, and an intimate dinner presented by celebrated James Beard-finalist chef, Will Gilson. Jared Bowen, GBH Arts Editor, Emmy award-winning host of the weekly television series, Open Studio and Special Correspondent for the PBS NewsHour will emcee the event. Rose Styron, poet and human rights activist, will present an award that evening. Plimoth Patuxet Trustee, Martha S. Mugar is the Event Chair and Visionary Sponsor.

Commenting on the significance of this milestone event and Plimoth Patuxet’s future, Ellie Donovan added, “We’re excited to celebrate 75 years of living history and begin the next 75 of this great American history museum.”

Eastern Bank is the event’s Lead Sponsor, and GBH is the Media Partner. For more information about this anniversary celebration event and to purchase tickets, visit www.plimoth.org/events.

About Plimoth Patuxet

Plimoth Patuxet is one of the Nation’s foremost living history museums. Founded in 1947, the Museum creates engaging experiences of history built on thorough research about the Indigenous and European people who met along Massachusetts' historic shores of change in the 1600s. Immersive and educational encounters underscore the collaborations as well as the cultural clash and conflicts of the 17th-century people of this region. Major exhibits include the Historic Patuxet Homesite, the 17th-Century English Village, Mayflower II, and Plimoth Grist Mill. A private, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational institution, Plimoth Patuxet is supported by admission fees, donations, memberships, and revenue from a variety of educational programming, dining and gift shops. Plimoth Patuxet receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, private foundations, corporations, and local businesses. Located less than an hour’s drive south of Boston, and 15 minutes north of Cape Cod, the Museum is open daily from early spring through the Sunday after Thanksgiving. For more information, visit plimoth.org. Follow the Museum on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.