Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of North Texas

10/02/2026

In September, Dr. Kerry Goldmann of the The University of North Texas History Department (now the School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry) kicked off our fall OLLI After Five series with a presentation titled "Behind the 'Halloween' Mask: Finding Meaning in the Frivolous Frights of Nihilistic '70s Slashers." She discussed slasher films in the context of their popularity in the 1970s and how John Carpenter's "Halloween" reflected the tumult of the decade.

09/30/2026

Are you interested in traveling with a group of your fellow OLLI members? We recently announced several new tours we're offering through the Collette travel agency in the coming year. Visit olli.unt.edu/travel to learn all about these tours to South America, Switzerland, Italy, New England, and even Antarctica!

09/28/2026

This semester, Texas Fashion Collection Director Annette Becker is teaching OLLI members about the intersections of quilting and fashion over the past sixty years. Following her recent presentation at CC Young Senior Living, Dr. Becker spoke with Donna Ledbetter of our volunteer storytelling team.

"I think we often see fashion as an elite and special world with cultural value," Dr. Becker said. "When we bring something like a quilt into that space, we see how special it is and that it also has value."

For OLLI member Anna McFarland, the presentation resonated at a personal level. "I had a special interest in this topic because my stepmother made quilted clothing," Anna told Donna. "This presentation gave me more context to what she did."

To learn more about our fall schedule, visit https://olli.unt.edu/catalog.

09/25/2026

The University of North Texas History Department (now the School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry) is hosting a free screening of "9 to 5," starring the late Dolly Parton, on October 2 at the Theatre Denton Annex in the Golden Triangle Mall. Professor Danielle Dumaine will give a pre-screening talk about the making of the movie. OLLI members may remember Dr. Dumaine from this spring's OLLI After Five presentation on the history of country music.

For questions about this free screening, please contact Dr. Dumaine directly at [email protected].

09/23/2026

The volunteers who serve on our Ambassador Outreach Team are trained to give presentations about OLLI at UNT to local groups. Are you part of a group in North Texas that would like to learn more about the lifelong learning opportunities right in your back yard? Please contact us at [email protected].

09/21/2026

Earlier this month, we continued our observation of the 250th anniversary of American independence with a presentation by UNT Special Collections. Members learned about early American and Texas history through in-person observation of artifacts like an original copy of Thomas Paine's "The American Crisis," Benjamin Franklin's "Experiments and Observations on Electricity," official Texas land grants signed by Sam Houston and Mirabeau Lamar, and 18th century maps of Texas and America.

09/21/2026

09/18/2026

OLLI member Dolores Rogers recently spoke to Donna Ledbetter of our volunteer Storytelling Team about her experience in the program.

"I enrolled in the OLLI classes because I like to have my brain challenged and learn new things," Dolores said. "I've been very impressed with the quality of the lecturers and their knowledge of their subject. The ability to answer off the cuff questions from the audience speaks to how well they know their topic."

What's your favorite part about OLLI?

09/17/2026

Earlier this month, OLLI members attended a performance by the UNT College of Music Symphony Orchestra. They were also able to enjoy a private pre-concert talk by Maestro David Itkin, who gave insights into the pieces being performed that evening. He introduced musical themes that members could listen for during the concert, and explained how he and his students prepared for their performance of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, Webern's Im Sommerwald, and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.

Each semester, members are able to request complimentary tickets to select College of Music concerts. We're grateful to Maestro Itkin and the college for their generosity!

08/19/2026