GUEST SPEAKER PROFESSOR STEVEN DYSON

Guest Speaker:  Our speaker tonight was former New Englander Dr. Stephen L. Dyson. Dr. Dyson is the Park Professor and Distinguished Professor of Roman History and Archeology, Roman Italy and Western Empire Archeological History and Theory at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Dr. Dyson has a Diploma in Classical Archeology from Oxford and both an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Yale. From Middlefield, Conn., he taught at Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT) from 1963 to 1991 and has been on faculty at SUNY-AB ever since.

He and his wife, Pauline, live in a late Federal period style 1840’s home in the Village of Williamsville, which was built by a carpenter for his family.

Dr. Dyson spoke on "Age, Sex and Status: The View from the Roman Rotary Club." He provided a picture of entrepreneurial activity and small business that largely supported the entire Roman economy. Dr. Dyson also gave examples of how slaves were able to obtain their freedom and become prosperous and, often, citizens of Rome.