H.W. Brands, best-selling author and professor of History at the University of Texas, will speak at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, in Watkins Auditorium. He will speak on “Benjamin Franklin and the Birth of American Identity.”

His appearance is sponsored by the Honors Programs, the Department of History and Philosophy and the Vertical Immersion Project.

The lecture will end with a brief question-and-answer period. A reception will follow the lecture.

Brands is the author of 16 books and dozens of articles and is the associate editor of Presidential Studies Quarterly. His 2000 book, “The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin” was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and a New York Times best seller.

“In January 2006, we celebrated the 300th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin, the quintessential Founding Father whose wide breadth of interests covered the entire spectrum from business, communications and science to philosophy, politics and diplomacy,” said Dr. Dan McDonough, coordinator of the series.

“We are pleased to host one of the nation’s finest historians to explain how Franklin contributed to the birth of a uniquely American identity and how he remains relevant today.”

The Academic Speaker Series annually brings distinguished scholars, writers and performers to the UTM campus. All lectures are free and open to the public. For more information, contact McDonough at danmc@utm.edu or 731-881-7436.