In 2018, Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSMNP) started The African American Experiences in the Smokies (AAES) project which focuses on the overlooked history of African Americans in the Smokies and Southern Appalachia. Antoine Fletcher will discuss the broad goals of the project, as well as the specific focuses currently. In the 1800s,...
Lectures
Love history and want to learn more? Explore a variety of historical topics as authors, scholars, and local historians present the latest research and books, as well as new looks at old subjects. Lectures are open to the public and are free of charge unless otherwise stated.
Upcoming Lectures
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August 2, 2023 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Previous Lectures
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May 31, 2023 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
The Night Marauder is the true crime account of a serial killer who preyed on women in and around Knoxville, TN, between 1919 and 1926. Learn more about the case from Dr. Locklin-Sofer who has been researching, with the help of her Maryville College students, the case which was never solved though several men were tried as suspects....
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May 17, 2023 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
It’s no secret that several big Hollywood productions were shot here in Knoxville and the surrounding region. Locals often turned up to shooting locations with their own cameras, capturing cast and crew at work in photos and home movies. Using exclusive McClung Collection and TAMIS materials, this program takes a look behind the scenes of films...
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May 10, 2023 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
While Knoxville has a rich tradition of success on the gridiron, its history of championship titles on the baseball field stretches back to the end of the American Civil War. Dr. Hardy will speak about the first “base ball” (two words in the 19th century) clubs to organize in Knoxville. He will highlight a number of the original baseballists...
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A Roundtable Discussion with Title IX Trailblazers in East TennesseeApril 27, 2023 - 6:00pm to 7:00pm
In her new book Title IX, Pat Summitt, and Tennessee’s Trailblazers, Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel introduces readers to past and present pioneers in women’s sport. Join us for an evening book talk and roundtable discussion with key Trailblazers Dr. Joan Cronan, Ann Baker Furrow, and Missy Kane. Additional Trailblazers will be present...
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April 26, 2023 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Following years of work as a news stringer and cameraman for hire, Sam Orleans opened Knoxville’s first motion picture production studio in 1946. Throughout the next two decades, his company produced over 100 educational and industrial films, focusing on such subjects as driver's education, agriculture, health and nuclear power. Calvin M....
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April 12, 2023 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
In her book East Tennessee Newsmakers, columnist Georgiana Vines pays tribute to 47 remarkable individuals and their contributions to Knoxville and the history, civic and cultural life, and politics of East Tennessee. Anyone who has resided in the region knows that it derives its glow from its people— the ones who built it and...
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Stories of Landscape and Community in the Mountain SouthMarch 29, 2023 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Kami Ahrens will introduce us to the women featured in Foxfire's newest publication, The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Women: Stories of Landscape and Community in the Mountain South. This edited volume features twenty-one oral histories from Appalachian women from the Foxfire archive, magazine, and book series. These remarkable...
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From a Small Coal Camp to Olympic Podium to Courtside with Michael JordanMarch 27, 2023 - 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Bill Schmidt discusses his new memoir Southview to Gettysvue, which begins with his childhood growing up in the small Appalachian Pennsylvania coal camp Southview. Though he suffered from family tragedy and personal struggles his interest in sports helped create a path forward. After graduating from college he made the 1972 US Olympic...
