On June 6, 1944, a 56-year-old general with a secret walked onto Utah Beach under fire, armed with a cane and a pistol. The secret: his heart was failing. He had hidden it from the army doctors so they wouldn't pull him from the mission. His name was Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Son of the President. He had begged three separate times to lead the first wave ashore at Normandy before his commanders finally said yes. When his landing craft drifted 2,000 yards off course, every instinct said redirect the following waves to the correct zone. Instead, Roosevelt walked the beach himself, alone, under artillery fire, cane in hand, reading the terrain. His verdict: "We'll start the war from right here." He then stood on that beach and personally greeted every regiment that landed after him, pointing them inland, cracking jokes under shellfire, steadying 18-year-olds who had never seen combat. He did this for hours. Years later, Omar Bradley was asked to name the single most heroic act he had ever witnessed in combat. His answer, without hesitation: "Ted Roosevelt on Utah Beach." Roosevelt's son, Captain Quentin Roosevelt II, also landed at Normandy that same morning. He was named after his uncle, Quentin Roosevelt, who had been shot down as a fighter pilot over France in World War I. Three generations. Three wars. One family. Theodore Roosevelt Jr. died in his sleep 36 days later. Heart attack. The thing he had been hiding finally won. He never learned he had been awarded the Medal of Honor. He was buried at the Normandy American Cemetery. In 1955, his family had his brother Quentin, killed in WWI, exhumed from where he fell in France and reinterred right beside him. Quentin is the only World War I soldier buried there. Two brothers. Two world wars. The same French soil. Their father had once said: "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Both of his sons did exactly that.

1 valedictorian, 2 salutatorians, 3 @CollSportsComm Academic All-Americas (so far), 4 @GreatMidwestAC Elite 26 Award winners and 5 straight semesters with each team at a 3.0 GPA...not a shabby 2025-26! goashlandeagles.com/news/202…

Amtrak Unveils Freedom 250 Acela Train to Celebrate US Birthday 🎥: @TODAYshow

In Ashland: Nearly 1,000 graduates received degrees during Ashland University's Class of 2026 commencement, with The Honorable Mary Anne Carter emphasizing adaptability and resilience in today's world. #AshlandSource ashlandsource.com/2026/05/09…

Eerdmans, the 114-year-old Christian publisher long known for biblical commentary, theology, and reference books, today announced it's adding a new adult imprint that brings a different dimension to the house: literary nonfiction. buff.ly/LMJeEL3

AU is one of the top values in higher education, ranking 58th in @SmartAsset list of America’s Best Value Small Colleges and Universities. The data-driven ranking identified those that deliver a strong balance of affordability and long-term outcomes. ashland.edu/news/au-one-75-a…

A familiar face stopped by the Niss 👀 @ktnago13 (Class of ‘13) trained at AU this week to prepare for her 2026 campaign. Katie kicks off her season at the Drake Relays in Des Moinse, Iowa. Best of luck, Katie! 🦅

Old North Church, where Paul Revere started his midnight ride on April 18, 1775. 🇺🇸

I don’t think people have fully absorbed just how big the declines in student enrollment are going to be. Eight states are projected to experience DOUBLE DIGIT declines by 2031.

Been rereading Delbanco’s magnificent biography of Melville, specifically the chapters about the composition of MOBY-DICK. Melville’s close friendship with Hawthorne, his move to the farmhouse in Pittsfield, MA, and his discovery of Shakespeare seem to’ve transformed his writing.

AU is excited to welcome award-winning poet David Mason, Ph.D., for a special reading on Friday, April 10, at 7 p.m., in the Student Center Auditorium of the Hawkins-Conard Student Center. It is free and open to the community. ashland.edu/news/renowned-po…

Oh, this brought back some sweet Pacific Northwest memories. Photos from my vault from 2010 and 2014, and this wonderful poet David Mason, giving a reading at AU this coming Friday night. It's going to be lovely.

Luke 24:6

TONIGHT! Join us online as Dr. Ruth Wisse delivers the 52nd Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities. She will deliver her lecture “A Message from the ‘Blue and White’ in the ‘Red, White, and Blue’” beginning at 7 p.m. which will stream live: shorturl.at/C0mcD

250 donors already 💜💛🦅 Day of Giving is just getting started—thank you for making an impact! Let’s keep the momentum going toward 700 donors. Learn more: ashland.edu/2026dayofgiving

I am delighted to announce a $15 million donation from Dwight & Martha Schar to @Ashland_Univ! Their $55 million in lifetime giving has transformed the living-learning environment on our campus. ashland.edu/news/ashland-uni…

Why the novelist Ann Patchett considers this 90-year-old man in Alabama to be one of the most interesting booksellers in America. newyorker.com/books/page-tur…

Thank you for joining us in the locker room for the post game celebration, @JonPeede 🏀🦅 #WeAreFamily | #GoEagles

Meet Megan Keller, USA women's hockey Olympic hero trib.al/oi1gtAN

THE GOAL HEARD AROUND THE WORLD 🥇🥇 #WINTEROLYMPICS