The Churchill Centre

The Churchill Centre and Churchill Museum at the Cabinet War Rooms [1] was founded in 1968 to educate new generations on the leadership, statesmanship, vision, courage and boldness of Sir Winston Churchill. Thousands of members around the world work together to impress the record Churchill's life and deeds on the 21st century. The Centre's exhibits are located at the Churchill War Rooms.

The Centre sponsors an annual International Churchill Conference and numerous regional events honouring today's leaders; Churchill tours in Britain, Australia, France, South Africa and Morocco; academic symposia; student seminars; and the periodic Churchill Lecture, in which prominent world figures apply Sir Winston’s experience to the today’s issues. With grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Centre has conducted highly praised seminars for high school teachers in the USA and UK, to aid their appreciation and use of Churchill's story in their local curricula. The Centre website is a massive array of searchable facts and opinions.

The Churchill Centre is politically non-partisan, but not apolitical. Its quarterly journal, Finest Hour, often touches on Churchill's political philosophy and its relevance to today's issues. Speakers span the political and cultural spectrum: William F. Buckley, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr, Alistair Cooke, William Manchester, members of the Churchill family, and many others.

While The Churchill Centre's view of its subject is naturally positive, it is not hagiographic and publishes critiques as well as praise. According to Roosevelt-Churchill historian Warren Kimball, "Finest Hour has become a serious (and still entertaining) journal, earning the sobriquet 'The Journal of Winston Churchill,' which has taken Churchill from the clutches of the worshipful and given him over to the appreciative—those who can look at him, warts and all."

Since 1983, the Patron of The Churchill Centre is The Lady Soames LG DBE, the only surviving daughter of Winston Churchill. From 1970 to 1979, the Patron was Lord Mountbatten of Burma. The Centre's United States' offices are located in Chicago, Illinois (888-WSC-1874) and at the Cabinet War Rooms, London ([phone]).

History

The predecessor organizations were the Winston S. Churchill Study Unit (1968), a chapter of the American Topical Association, and the International Churchill Society. In 1995, responding to an appeal by Lady Soames, over 600 people around the world became founding members of the Churchill Centre (retaining English spelling of "Centre" in view of its international activities). In 2008 The Churchill Centre merged with the American Friends of the Churchill Museum, to form the Churchill Centre and Museum at the Cabinet War Rooms, London.

Among the original honorary members were The Baroness Clementine Spencer-Churchill; Randolph S. Churchill; The Rt. Hon. The Lord Stockton (Harold Macmillan); The Hon. W. Averell Harriman; Sir John Colville; and The Rt. Hon. The Lord Soames (Christopher Soames), now all deceased. Current honorary members include General Colin Powell; The Lady Thatcher; Sir Martin Gilbert; Winston Churchill (grandson); The 11th Duke of Marlborough; Randolph Churchill (great grandson) and Sir Winston's last private secretary, Sir Anthony Montague Browne.

External links

• The Churchill Centre

• Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms

Coordinates: 51°30′08″N 0°07′46″W / 51.5022°N 0.1295°W / 51.5022; -0.1295