""Sickness is a Crime”: The Responsibility to be Healthy in American History," a lecture by...

The History Department at Wheaton College presents, "“Sickness is a Crime”: The Responsibility to be Healthy in American History," a lecture by Dr. Jonathan Riddle on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 7:00 PM.

Join us for the 2026 McManis Lecture with Jonathan D. Riddle. Dr. Riddle is an assistant professor of history at Pepperdine University, where he works on the history of medicine, the history of religion, and where the two intersect in US history. He also founded and directs the school’s health humanities program. He is working on a book entitled, The Gospel of Health: How Science, Religion, and Capitalism Shaped Wellness in America, detailing how personal responsibility became a foundational ethic in American conceptions of health.

This event is free and open to the public and will take place in Blanchard Hall,   Room 339 Lecture Hall,   located at 501 College Avenue in Wheaton. Light refreshments will be served following the lecture. For more information, contact Wheaton College History Department at 630.752.5130 or history@wheaton.edu.