Jack Lasseter is a retired Tucson attorney and lifelong Arizona resident, having called the state home since the age of five. A passionate historian and storyteller, he possesses deep knowledge of Arizona’s history, its diverse peoples, and the rich biological environment of the Sonoran Desert—including its iconic cacti and wildlife. Jack has taught U.S. History at Pima College and has led private tours of Southern Arizona’s historic sites, where he often remarks that he can still “feel the ghosts” of the past. He currently presents lectures at the Western National Parks Association in Oro Valley, the Community Performing Arts Center in Green Valley, and Tubac Presidio State Historic Park. Known for being both highly informative and wonderfully entertaining, Jack brings history to life through engaging storytelling, humor, and insight, making his presentations as memorable as they are educational.
Ken Scoville
Ken Scoville is a native Arizonan with a deep and enduring passion for the history of Tucson, Arizona, and the United States. A retired public-school teacher, he is a recognized local historian and a dedicated advocate for historic preservation. Ken has served on numerous local boards and committees and currently sits on the Tucson–Pima County Historical Commission. Since 1985, he has led walking tours and delivered presentations focused on Tucson’s historic districts, helping audiences understand how the city’s past has shaped the community it is today. He is also the author of Historic Places of Our Republic, a guide designed to support elementary school teachers and parents in teaching United States history. Ken is known for his engaging presentations and his ability to connect history to place in meaningful and accessible ways.
2026 Dates and Lectures
~ January ~
Guest Speaker: Jack Lasseter
Title:The Sonoran Desert, This Place Where We Live
This is Jack’s highly requested talk on the Sonoran Desert surrounding Tucson, which is widely recognized as the lushest desert in the world. With special emphasis on its iconic cacti and diverse plant life, Jack explores the remarkable strategies these species use to survive and thrive in an extremely hot, dry environment. The lecture also highlights the fascinating animals of the Sonoran Desert and Southern Arizona, revealing the complex and vibrant ecosystem that makes this region so unique. You’ll leave saying, “Wow, I didn’t know all that,” and feeling ready to impress your neighbors and winter guests as a true desert expert.
Guest Speaker: Ken Scoville
Title: Arriving in the Old Pueblo: On foot, Horseback, Wagon and stagecoach, Railroad, Automobile, Airplane
Description: Each major mode of transportation reshaped Tucson’s patterns of growth after 1850. The earliest route into the Old Pueblo was the Calle Real (Royal Road), which followed the east bank of the Santa Cruz River and guided the city’s initial development. The arrival of the railroad dramatically altered Tucson’s geography and economy, introducing a new corridor into the city and transforming commerce. Businesses that could now receive goods weekly by rail quickly outpaced storekeepers who relied on slower wagon-based supply routes. The introduction of the automobile would ultimately dwarf the railroad’s impact, fueling suburban expansion and the rise of commercial corridors along roadways. These transportation advances made tourism, investment, and large-scale growth possible, fundamentally shaping modern Tucson. Ironically, despite its technological significance, the airplane had relatively limited influence on broader development patterns, with its impact largely confined to commercial activity within the immediate vicinity of the airport.
~ February ~
Guest Speaker: Ken Scoville
Title:Why is Tucson the City it is Today? With emphasis on the automobile’s impact on growth and the culture of Tucson
Description: Mild winters have long played a significant role in answering the question of why people are drawn to Tucson, attracting health seekers and snowbirds alike. Yet it is the unique geography of the Sonoran Desert and its spectacular surrounding mountain ranges that continue to captivate new arrivals. Tucson’s military presence—dating back to Spanish colonial times and continuing through the establishment of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base—has also profoundly shaped the city’s identity. Beginning at the turn of the 20th century, the University of Arizona and a growing arts community further enriched Tucson’s cultural landscape. However, the single greatest catalyst for change arrived in the 1930s with the automobile becoming the dominant mode of transportation. Its influence transformed the city through grid-style street patterns, suburban expansion, and real estate speculation—impacts that continue to shape Tucson today. Discover how climate, geography, culture, transportation, and innovation have come together to create the dynamic and evolving metropolis of Tucson in 2026.
Southern Arizona is the historic homeland of the Chiricahua Apache; a people whose leaders left an enduring mark on the history of the American Southwest. Names such as Mangas Coloradas, Victorio, Nana, Loco, Juh, Geronimo, and Cochise continue to resonate today, each representing a powerful and complex story of leadership, resilience, and survival. In this lecture, we will explore the lives and legacies of two of the most influential Chiricahua leaders—Cochise and Geronimo. Through their distinct experiences and leadership styles, this program offers deeper insight into the challenges they faced, the world they navigated, and the lasting impact they had on Southern Arizona and the broader Southwest.
Description: Since 1985, Ken Scoville has played an active role in the revitalization of Downtown Tucson, with a strong emphasis on historic preservation. Downtown’s heyday peaked in the 1950s, before the rise of El Con and other regional shopping malls shifted commercial life outward. As growth accelerated and residents moved to the suburbs, downtown declined, and urban renewal efforts erased much of Tucson’s historic built environment—often with little lasting benefit. A meaningful path forward began in the 1980s with the creation of the Downtown Arts District, followed by the restoration of historic homes, theaters, and landmarks such as the Congress Hotel in the 1990s. In the early 21st century, Rio Nuevo and tax increment financing provided renewed momentum for redevelopment. More recently, the modern streetcar has reconnected downtown to the University of Arizona, attracting students, professionals, and residents seeking a vibrant urban lifestyle. Together, these efforts tell the ongoing story of downtown Tucson’s transformation and resilience.
The history of the American West is far more than the story of men alone. In this engaging lecture, Jack shares the fascinating and often overlooked stories of women on the Arizona frontier—women who were resilient, courageous, and instrumental in shaping the region we know today. Through the lives of three remarkable women—an Apache, a Spaniard, and a New Englander—Jack explores the diverse experiences, challenges, and contributions of women from vastly different backgrounds. Though their paths were distinct, each left a lasting imprint on the development and character of the Arizona frontier.
~ April ~
Guest Speaker: Ken Scoville
Title: Surviving Summers in Territorial Tucson before Air Conditioning
Description: How did they do it? Anyone who has ever experienced an air-conditioning failure during a Tucson summer has likely asked the same question. Long before modern cooling, residents of the Old Pueblo survived the heat by adopting the same strategies used by desert life itself: enduring, evading, and escaping. By 1870, Tucson was a bustling town of nearly 3,000 people, with commerce, government, and daily life continuing even through the hottest months. Residents adapted through ingenious design and lifestyle choices—living in thick adobe homes, planting shade trees, sleeping outdoors, and adjusting daily schedules so businesses closed during the afternoon heat and reopened in the cooler evening hours. Remarkably, Tucson even boasted an ice cream shop as early as 1876. These time-tested strategies began to shift with the arrival of the railroad in 1880 and eventually gave way to modern cooling technologies. The long chapter of desert adaptation finally came to an end in the early 20th century with the introduction of the evaporative cooler. This lecture explores the creativity, resilience, and ingenuity that allowed Tucson’s early residents to thrive in one of the hottest climates in North America.
Description: Discover where Tucson began on this guided walking tour of the northern half of the original presidio site and along historic Main Avenue. Explore 1860s Sonoran adobe rowhouses, elegant turn-of-the-century mansions, and the streets that trace Tucson’s earliest development. Tucson’s oldest neighborhood grew outward from the presidio walls along its first major pathway, originally known as the Calle Real and later renamed Main Avenue. Prosperous merchants built grand homes along the avenue, while more modest adobe rowhouses took shape on Meyer Street and neighboring roads to the east. The El Presidio Historic District also tells a powerful story of historic preservation in the face of urban renewal and change. Preservation efforts in Tucson began when three determined women from different downtown neighborhoods joined forces to establish a historic preservation ordinance and designated preservation zones—El Presidio among the very first. This tour offers a compelling look at Tucson’s origins, architectural heritage, and the community efforts that helped protect its historic heart. (Approximately two hours | Maximum of 12 participants)
This powerful lecture tells the remarkable story of the Navajo Code Talkers during World War II, focusing on the experiences of Chester Nez, one of the original Code Talkers who served in the Pacific Theater. Like many young Navajo men of his generation, Nez volunteered to serve his country, motivated by a deep sense of duty, cultural pride, and the desire to honor his family—especially his father. Facing skepticism and secrecy, the Navajo Code Talkers developed and used an unbreakable code based on the Navajo language, playing a critical role in securing Allied victories in some of the war’s most brutal battles. This is a stirring and deeply human story of patriotism, sacrifice, and cultural strength—one that honors the Navajo Code Talkers as true American heroes whose legacy must never be forgotten.
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