This program is included with regular or member admission to the Cleveland History Center on May 15.

In this evening event, Dr. Curt Fields presents the story of General and President Ulysses S. Grant, perhaps the most undervalued of our most famous American presidents. In character as Grant, Dr. Fields will discuss Grant's upbringing, his less-than-impressive record at West Point, and his experiences in the Mexican War.  He reviews the six years when Grant left the army and failed miserably at farming in St. Louis, as well as Grant's rapid rise in the Civil War from a Colonel to commanding General of all Union armies in less than three years. His two terms as President are discussed and stressed as proof that Grant was, indeed, a gifted individual who never gave up on himself.

The event is being hosted by the Cleveland History Center and co-sponsored by the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable as part of a weeklong visit by Dr. Fields as either General Grant or President Grant in the Cleveland area as he visits schools, libraries, and other history-related organizations.

Biography

Dr. Curt Fields is the premier Living Historian and interpreter of General and President U.S. Grant. Dr. Fields has portrayed General and President Grant in 22 states as he travels the nation presenting his portrayal of Grant. Dr. Fields is the same height and body style as General Grant and, therefore, presents a convincing, true-to-life image of the man as he really looked.  He researches and reads extensively about General Grant in order to deliver an accurate persona of the General. His presentations are in first person, quoting from General Grant’s Memoirs; articles and letters the General wrote, statements he made in interviews or wrote himself, and first-person accounts of people who knew the General or were with him and witnessed him during events.

Dr. Fields will be visiting the Cleveland area for the third time in five years for the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable in May of 2025.  His prior visits resulted in record breaking attendance at all of his venues. The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable hopes to coordinate his visit with other organizations including schools, if possible, to share the story of this important figure in U.S history.

Dr. Fields holds a Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Education from the University of Memphis.  He later earned a Master’s degree in Secondary Education and Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Curriculum from Michigan State University.  He has been a long-time adjunct Sociology Professor at the University of Memphis and in Education for Belhaven University, Memphis campus.

He is now an educational consultant and Living Historian.  As a Living Historian, Dr. Fields portrayed General Grant at the 150th Sesquicentennial observations of: Fort Donelson and Shiloh, TN, Vicksburg, MS, and at the 150th anniversary of Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox Court House, VA, in 2015.  He also portrayed the General at Appomattox in 2012, 2013 and 2014.  He portrays General Grant in the Visitor Center film that is shown at Appomattox Court House National Historic Park.  Dr. Fields has appeared with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra in Vicksburg NMP.  He was featured as General Grant, and as a Grant authority, in a Discovery Channel three-part documentary on US history.  Dr. Fields portrays General Grant, giving his life story, on the Civil War Trust website in the 1 in4 series of biographies and significant places and events the distinguished Civil War Trust has established.  This may be seen at Civilwar.org and select 1in4 at the top of the page.

In addition to an impressive list of accomplishments including his award-winning presentations as Grant, he also served as a Memphis, TN, Police Officer for four years; was an MPD Hostage negotiator and received the Life-Saving medal from the City of Memphis for actions in the line of duty.