James Rufus Agee (1909-1955) was one of America’s most gifted writers. Only six when his father died in an automobile accident, he later wrote about the tragedy in the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, A Death in the Family, set in his hometown of Knoxville. One-third of Agee’s short years were spent in East Tennessee. Paul F. Brown draws on...
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.
Previous Lectures
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@ East Tennessee History CenterJuly 10, 2019 - 7:00am to July 11, 2019 - 7:45am
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@ East Tennessee History CenterJune 13, 2019 - 7:00am to June 14, 2019 - 7:45am
Dr. Gail Palmer will share stories of everyday life, love, and happenings, as gleaned from her extensive research into the families and cemeteries of those who lived in the Smokies prior to the creation of the park. Among her previously published works are The Midwives’ Quilt: A Tale of Conflict & Intrigue in the Smokies; Smoky Mountain...
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East Tennessee History CenterMay 30, 2019 - 1:00pm to May 31, 2019 - 12:45pm
The East Tennessee Historical Society will host the spring meeting of the American Meteorological Society, Smoky Mountain Chapter, with a guest lecture on the historic weather kiosk located outside of the East Tennessee History Center. Grant Goodge, Climatologist for the National Climatic Data Center, will speak on “Celebrating East Tennessee...
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A Conference Finale to the Polk ProjectApril 11, 2019 - 7:00pm to April 13, 2019 - 6:45pmDepartment of History...
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@ East Tennessee History CenterApril 3, 2019 - 7:00am to April 4, 2019 - 7:45am
Maryville College sprang from the vision of Reverend Isaac Anderson to fill what he saw as a great need for trained pastors and churches on the frontier. As pastor of Maryville's New Providence Presbyterian Church, Anderson led efforts to establish the "Southern and Western Theological Seminary," the forerunner of Maryville College, and for six...
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@ East Tennessee History CenterMarch 31, 2019 - 9:00am to April 1, 2019 - 9:45am
Dr. Tim Johnson, professor of history at Lipscomb University, will discuss the Mexican War (1846-1848), its causes, legacy, and the role of Tennesseans. With the outbreak of the war, Tennesseans responded in such numbers that state officials were forced to resort to a lottery to select the 6,000 to serve. The response solidified Tennessee's...
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@ East Tennessee History CenterMarch 13, 2019 - 8:00am to March 14, 2019 - 8:45am
Is there anything new to say about the most destructive war in modern history? In the case of RDX, yes! As the most powerful explosive in the world until the atomic bomb, RDX was used on all the war's battlefronts--land, sea, and air. Yet, the stunning accomplishment at what became known as "The Great Holston Ordnance Works," located along the...
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@ East Tennessee History CenterMarch 5, 2019 - 12:30pm to 2:30pm
Keel Hunt, author of Crossing the Aisle, How Bipartisanship Brought Tennessee to the Twenty-First Century and Could Save America, will be the guest speaker for a lecture at the East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, on Tuesday, March 5, 2019.. The lecture begins at 6 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The book...