FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2026
THE SECRET COURT OF THE REPUBLIC
With Justice Ken Wise

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Justice Ken Wise of the 14th Court of Appeals is a passionate storyteller of Texas history. Born and raised in Houston, He traces his ancestry to the Republic of Texas in 1836. He is the creator and host of the award-winning Texas history podcast Wise About Texas which tells the stories behind the history. In 2021 Justice Wise was honored by the Texas House of Representatives for his contributions to preserving the history of our state.
 
Justice Wise graduated from Texas A&M University and attended law school at the University of Houston. He previously served as Judge of both the 334th and 152nd District Courts in Harris County. He is a member of the Texas Judicial Council and a director of the Judicial Section of the State Bar of Texas. Wise has also published numerous journal articles and is an adjunct professor at Houston Baptist University.
 
Join us for lunch and Texas storytelling! March 13th, 11:30 a.m., The Cannery, 314 E. Alamo, Brenham. Register ($25) no later than March 9th. All are welcome.
Friday, March 13, 2026
​11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

The Cannery
314 East Alamo
Brenham TX
​ 
$25 per person
BUY TICKETS ONLINE:
Registration deadline: 
Friday, March 9th 
Justice Ken Wise
OR... MAIL A CHECK TO:
       Lifetime Learning
       P. O. Box 513
       Brenham, TX 77834
FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2026
Rene Pederson, author, King of Diamonds
"The Search for the Elusive Texas Jewel Thief"
​In the 1950s and ’60s, a mysterious jewel thief robbed dozens of the wealthiest families in Dallas: millionaires with oil wells and airplanes, women with unlimited accounts at Neiman-Marcus. The thief slipped over fences and climbed up trees to break into fine homes and got away with millions in jewels. Because of his extraordinary skill, the press dubbed the cat burglar “The King of Diamonds.”

The “King” was so daring that he walked away with handfuls of jewelry while the owners were sleeping a few feet away, or hosting a party downstairs. Somehow, he knew who had the gems and where they kept them. Dallas police and the FBI pursued the jewel thief for more than a decade. Scotland Yard, the French Surete, the Mexican Federal Police, and Interpol were all on the lookout. But the cat burglar was never caught. The jewel thefts stretched into the terms of four presidents, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon. A half a century later, the mystique of the uncatchable jewel thief lives on. Who pulled off the perfect crime—for so long? 

Copies of King of Diamonds will be available for sale at the event. The author will be happy to autograph.
Friday, April 10, 2026
​11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

The Cannery
314 East Alamo
Brenham TX
​ 
$25 per person
PRESENTER
​Native Texan Rena Pederson is an award-winning journalist and author of five books. During her career, she has interviewed newsmakers ranging from Margaret Thatcher to Fidel Castro and Jane Goodall as well as five U.S. presidents. She served on the Pulitzer Prize Board for nine years. While she was editorial page editor at The Dallas Morning News, Texas Monthly described Pederson as one of the most powerful women in Texas. Pederson also served as a senior speechwriter and advisor for strategic communications at the U.S. Department of State. Her first book What’s Next? was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and her most recent book, The King of Diamonds, has been described in reviews as a “tour de force” and “must-read.” She was named a member of the prestigious Texas Institute of Letters in 2025.
BUY TICKETS ONLINE:
Registration deadline: 
Friday, April 6th ​
Rena Pederson

​OR... MAIL A CHECK TO:
       Lifetime Learning
       P. O. Box 513
       Brenham, TX 77834