History: Teddy’s Big Dig - the Panama Canal - WBLAS Community Services & Recreation

History: Teddy’s Big Dig - the Panama Canal

Enrichment Adult / Home -

AE 2526 Fall

Teddy Roosevelt loved ships and he wanted a canal. So he fostered a phony revolution to make it happen. Learn about that as well as the French failure to dig a canal, the battle against yellow fever and malaria, the living conditions for the workers who spent years there, and the sheer magnitude of the job. You’ll also see what it’s like today now that Japan, Europe and Latin America have financed the rebuild.

Kathleen Simmer

Kathy Simmer taught in the St. Paul Public Schools and was very interested in historical research. Upon retirement she began teaching classes on American history topics in several suburbs and for various organizations. She likes to include the details that are often left out of the history books.

Kathy's portion of the class fee is donated to the Alzheimer's Association or the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research. Thank you.

September 2025