Sun City: A Community Changed a Nation
Social Science/History | Registration opens 1/5/2026 12:00 AM MST (Arizona)
“Sun City: The Community That Changed a Nation.” Bret McKeand of the Del Webb Sun Cities Museum tells the story of Sun City. Using archival photos, he takes viewers on a journey through time and explains the story of Marinette – the farming community that once existed where Sun City now lies – and the creation and opening of Sun City on Jan. 1, 1960. He also shares the story of founder Del Webb and how the company’s innovative marketing during the 1960s served to change the nation’s perception of what it meant to grow old in America.
Bret McKeand
Please note: Bret is unable to lead this class, but Jerry Crowdey from the Sun City Speakers Bureau will carry on!
McKeand, Bret - is a retired journalist and current Sun Cities Area Historical Society President. As a reporter, editor, and publisher, Bret spent his entire journalism career with Independent Newspapers in Arizona. He retired in 2020 as president of the company’s Arizona operations. He is president of the Sun Cities Area Historical Society Board of Trustees, which owns and operates the Del Webb Sun Cities Museum. In 2010, he authored a book on the history of Sun City to benefit the society and the Del Webb Sun Cities Museum.