Next month, residents will have the rare opportunity to glimpse long-dead U.S. general and president Ulysses S. Grant in the flesh — sort of.
Actor Ken Serfass will portray the 18th president in “The Life of Ulysses S. Grant” on May 13 at the Hamlin Memorial Library in Smethport. Starting at 7 p.m., Serfass will play Grant during an hour-long lecture, sharing stories of his life and answering questions. It is a program of the Traveling Literary Theater.
The Smethport American Legion Post #138 is sponsoring the event.
Serfass, a retired U.S. Marine and Gettysburg resident, is well-studied on Grant’s life and dons an 1860s-era general uniform during his lectures on him.
The actor shared why he is so interested in Grant, as well as why he believes it is important to educate people about him.
“My talk is always centered on the qualities of US Grant that have made him a hero to me,” said Serfass. “Those qualities include tenacity, respect, humility, patriotism and many other values that showed his true nature as a loving family man and regular man of the people.”
Serfass recalls that he first learned about Grant as a third-grader, when he read from a biography on Grant for a school report. His knowledge of Grant includes the president’s youth and education, his war experiences, and his family experiences, as well as his time as president.
One goal of his is to dispel myths about Grant.
“He died as one of the most beloved and respected men of the Victorian age and now is regarded by many as a hard drinking ‘butcher’ who gave little regard for human life or respect for his enemies,” Serfass said. “These things are the exact opposite of who he was and I have made it my personal mission to bring his reputation back into the light it deserves.”
Serfass finds that by portraying Grant in the first person, the experience is “more memorable,” and people leave with a better understanding about him as a person.
Mary Ann Dyne, a retired New Jersey teacher, shared her impression of Serfass’s portrayal.
“Ken knows everything about Grant,” Dyne said. “I watched him field questions about the war, his presidency, his children, his staff, his wife, his death, even the buttons on his coat. He knew dates, time, location, number of soldiers for each and every battle he commanded. Ken isn’t just good at what he does, he’s the best.”
