An Affair of Honor: Pittsburgh's Last Recorded Duel
Lifelong Learning | Registration opens 8/20/2026 9:00 AM EDT
On January 8, 1806, thirty-two-year old Tarlton Bates, the Prothonotary of Allegheny County and editor/part owner of the “Tree Of Liberty” newspaper, was killed in Pittsburgh’s last recorded duel. This course will examine Bates’ life, the reason he came to Pittsburgh, and why he and other newly minted republican men opted to settle their differences on the field of honor.
L Jon Grogan
L. Jon Grogan, PhD, has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Tufts University, a master’s degree in public history from the University of San Diego, and a PhD in American history (with a minor concentration in African colonial history) from Loyola University Chicago. He is also a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer. He teaches for OLLI programs across the country.