Sewell, the Frank P. Hixon distinguished service professor of political science and history at the University of Chicago, will discuss "Eighteenth-Century Capitalism and the Cultural Origins of the French Revolution" at 11 a.m. in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center, Cardinal Hall.

The presentation, which is free and open to the public, also will serve as the plenary address for the ninth annual Student History Conference.

A fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences who will serve as a fellow at the National Humanities Center next year, Sewell has held fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences and the Institute for Advanced Study.

Sewell's work focuses on the history of early modern and modern Europe and on the relationship between history and social theory. Over the past 10 years, most of his writing and teaching has centered on the development of a theoretical vocabulary that simultaneously speaks to history and the other social sciences. This work is collected in his recently published book "Logics of History: Social Theory and Social Transformation."

The Burkhardt Lectures, part of the annual Provost's Lecture Series, are provided through a gift from the Burkhardts' three adult children to honor their parents' deep commitment to the Ball State community and address subjects relating to their long-standing interest in culture, history and foreign languages.

Dorothy Burkhardt is a former Ball State French instructor, and Richard Burkhardt is a former Ball State provost and acting president, as well as a professor emeritus of history.

(Note to editors: For more information, contact Jean Amman at (765) 285-1333 or jamman@bsu.edu.)