One of the most-talked-about events of the Cold War was the drowning of the American U-2 spy plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers of the Soviet Union, May 1, 1960. Tried for espionage and held for nearly two years in a Soviet prison, Powers was eventually exchanged by a senior KGB spy. Though cleared by the U.S. government of any wrongdoing...
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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@ East Tennessee History CenterOctober 27, 2019 - 2:00pm
Previous Lectures
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@ East Tennessee History CenterAugust 14, 2019 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Following a decade of study and collaboration, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park was established in 2010. Consisting of Hanford, Washington; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, MAPR preserves the history and tells the story of the birth of the atomic age in America. Ray Smith served on the committee to establish the...
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@ East Tennessee History CenterJuly 10, 2019 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
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...
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@ East Tennessee History CenterJune 13, 2019 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
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 - 6:00pm
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 12, 2019 (All day) to April 13, 2019 (All day)Department of History...
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@ East Tennessee History CenterApril 3, 2019 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
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 - 2:00pm to 3:00pm
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 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
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...
