Jonathan Eig is an American journalist and a biographer, acclaimed as a “master storyteller” by filmmaker Ken Burns. A former staff writer for The Wall Street Journal, he is the author of six books, including three New York Times bestsellers.

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Vividly written and exhaustively researched, Eig’s latest book, King: A Life (2023) is the first major biography in decades of the civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr. — and the first to include recently declassified FBI files. As he follows MLK from the classroom to the pulpit to the streets of Birmingham, Selma, and Memphis, Eig dramatically re-creates the journey of a man who recast American race relations and became our only modern-day founding father — as well as the nation’s most mourned martyr. In this revelatory new portrait of the preacher and activist who shook the world, Eig gives us an intimate view of the courageous and often emotionally troubled human being who demanded peaceful protest for his movement but was rarely at peace with himself.

About the Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series

For twenty-five years, the Oregon Historical Society has presented the Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series, bringing together the nation’s top historians and award-winning authors for thought-provoking evenings of history. The series began at the suggestion of Senator Hatfield and continues as a tribute to his legacy of public service and as an opportunity to share stories of the people and events that have shaped history. Past speakers include notable historians and authors Heather Cox Richardson, David McCullough, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Jon Meacham, Cokie Roberts, and Isabel Wilkerson.

Tickets & Pricing

OHS member presale begins Wednesday, June 21 at 10am. Public sale begins Wednesday, July 12 at 10am.

OHS members will be sent an email on June 6 with details on how to access members-only pricing for Jonathan Eig If you do not receive this email, please email [email protected] or call 503.306.5220.

Not a member? Join today to access discounted pricing.

Tickets to the four-part 2024 Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series will go on sale this fall.

A $5 processing fee will be added by Portland’5 at checkout. All other service fees included in listed prices.

Virtual-only tickets can be purchased through OHS here. Virtual ticketholders will be able to livestream the event as well as have access to a recording.

All ticketholders will be emailed a recording of the lecture (closed captioning included) 48 hours after the event. The recording will be available for 14 days.

All sales are final. If you wish to donate your tickets and receive a receipt for tax purposes, please email [email protected] with details on which ticket(s) you wish to donate.

Accessible Ticket Options

Student Tickets: Discounted tickets are available for students for $5. Bring your student photo ID to the Portland’5 Box Office to purchase tickets.

Arts for All Tickets: Discounted tickets are available for Oregon Trail Card holders through the Arts for All program for $5. Bring your Oregon Trail Card to the Portland’5 Box Office to purchase tickets.