2025 U.S. Grant Symposium Speakers
Curt Fields
Dr. Fields has portrayed General and President Grant in 22 states as he travels the nation presenting his portrayal of General and President Ulysses S. Grant.
He researches and reads extensively about the General and President in order to deliver an accurate persona of the General. Presentations are in first person, quoting from General Grant’s Memoirs, articles, letters and statements the General wrote, interviews he gave and first-person accounts of people who knew the General or witnessed him during events.
Being the same height and body style as General Grant, he puts before the audience a convincing, true-to-life image of the man as he really looked. In the 21st century, Curt is a retired secondary school administrator and college instructor. He also has a background in law-enforcement, having served as Memphis, TN, police officer and hostage negotiator.
Lyle Randolph
Lyle Randolph is a native of Gideon, Missouri, and an eighth-generation Missourian whose earliest direct ancestors settled in the District of Cape Girardeau under Spanish rule in 1797. A graduate of the University of Missouri in Columbia, he currently serves as Vice President and General Manager of Century Casino & Hotel in Cape Girardeau.
Randolph’s historical research centers on the Civil War and the often-overlooked history of the Missouri Bootheel region.
A dedicated preservationist, Randolph collects Civil War letters, documents, and photographs tied to Southeast Missouri. He and his wife, Nicole, live in Jackson, Missouri, with their children.
Louis L. Picone
Louis Picone is an award-winning author and historian whose work focuses on the topic of presidents and the places we commemorate them,
including the General Grant National Memorial, the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in St. Louis, the James A. Garfield National Historic Site, and
the White House Historical Association.
He is the author of numerous best selling books, including “Grant’s Tomb: The Epic Death of Ulysses S. Grant and the Making of an American Pantheon”, “The President Is Dead! The Extraordinary Stories of the Presidential Deaths, Final Days, Burials, and Beyond” and “Where the Presidents Were Born: The History & Preservation of the Presidential Birthplaces.” and has been featured on C-SPAN, Time Magazine, BBC News, NPR, Washington Post, and the Travel Channel.
Louis is a member of the Authors Guild, the American Historical Association, the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Association, and is also a trustee on the board of the Grover Cleveland Birthplace Memorial Association in Caldwell, NJ. He holds a Master’s in History and also teaches at William Paterson University..
Kellerman-Lorimier Hall
The U.S. Grant Symposium on November 7, 2025 is honored to be hosted by the Kellerman Foundation at Kellerman-Lorimier Hall in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The Kellerman Foundation, established by Drs. Bert and Mary Ann Kellerman, is devoted to historic preservation and connecting the community with the architectural, historical, and cultural heritage of southeast Missouri (and southern Illinois).
Kellerman-Lorimier Hall, the Foundation’s newly acquired and being-renovated home (formerly the Lorimier School), will serve as a museum, exhibit space, and cultural hub. This venue embodies the Foundation’s mission: preserving structures with deep roots in local memory while opening them to explore broader themes of history and identity.
Hosting the Symposium at Kellerman-Lorimier Hall aligns naturally with the Foundation’s goals. Their mission “is to inform the public about the architectural, historical and cultural heritage of southeast Missouri, while also supporting historic preservation throughout the region.”
The Symposium will benefit from a venue that is itself a living example of preservation in action: restored classrooms, the art and archives already curated by the Foundation (including Civil War exhibits, the Oliver house history, the Rhinehart artwork, and the Frank Nickell archive) will provide rich context for discussions on U.S. Grant’s era, leadership, and legacy
Kellerman-Lorimier Hall offers both the gravitas and the local engagement required for a symposium of this scale, making it more than just a host site—it will play an active role in deepening public understanding of Grant’s history.
Click here for more information on The Kellerman Foundation.