While the National Women’s History Museum waits for authorization from Congress, its organizers are launching a series of lectures on scholarly topics.

The subjects are a window into the range of materials a museum might cover and a pointed way of reminding the public the museum remains a vital effort.

“The Past, Present, and Future of U.S. Women’s History” kicks off October 18 with a talk by Dr. Vicki Ruiz, the dean of the School of Humanities at the University of California at Irvine. Ruiz, a social historian and professor of History and Chicano/Latino Studies, will discuss milestones of Latino history in the U.S....