
The Channel City Club
Santa Barbara’s Window on the World
Now approaching its 80th anniversary, the Channel City Club was founded by Louis Lancaster in 1946 to provide Santa Barbara with a local venue for leading experts on state, national and international topics through lectures and discussions.
Following our nation's 250th anniversary, Professor Larson offers a fresh look at how the American colonies moved from seeking reconciliation with King George III to declaring total independence in under twelve months. Historian Douglas Brinkley called Larson's work an "indispensable history to read" as the nation reaches this milestone.
Professor Larson's research shows that independence was not a foregone conclusion, but a fragile decision shaped by rapid shifts in public opinion, political maneuvering, and military pressure. He explores how radical pamphlets like Thomas Paine's Common Sense and escalating British military actions transformed loyal subjects into revolutionaries. He traces how colonial assemblies and leaders like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson built consensus across thirteen distinct colonies, while demonstrating how high political philosophy intersected directly with the gritty realities faced by Washington's troops on the ground.
We hope that you will join us for this thoughtful look back at the events that shaped our nation's founding.
Questions? Contact membership@channelcityclub.org.
To reserve your place, check out below:

On Wednesday, September 23rd, the Channel City Club hosts Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward J. Larson for a talk on his book, Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters.
Join us on September 23rd, from 3:15 - 5:30 pm, at the University Club of Santa Barbara.
Recent Events

North America's Future in Trade and Investment - an Automotive Industry Perspective
Tim Ingle
Group Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Toyota North America
Link to Noozhawk Article

Dictators and Dependency - Unraveling the Havana - Caracas Alliance
Dr. Richard Downie
Senior Fellow for Latin America Studies at the Pacific Council on International Policy
Link to Noozhawk Article

Weaponizing Space - The Quiet Contest Above
Michelle L.D. Hanlon
Executive Director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi

Annual Christmas Brunch: 4 OF THE 11 FIVES: General Dwight David Eisenhower; General Omar Nelson Bradley; Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz; General Douglas MacArthur
Speaker: John Blankenship
Founding Director, Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation; former Lt. US Navy pilot; local military historian; Viet Nam veteran
Featuring a Montecito Union School Chorus performance, under the direction of Pam Herzog

Can a Competitive World Avoid Conflict?
Sir Jeremy Greenstock, GCMG
United Kingdom's Diplomatic Service; Special Advisor to the NGO Forward Thinking

Will Tariffs Make America Weak or Strong?
Daniel Crocker
Channel City Club's Board Director; Former Senior U.S. Department of Commerce Official and Diplomat
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Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 2247
Santa Barbara, CA 93120
© 2026 Channel City Club
