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

  • @ East Tennessee History Center
    October 24, 2017 - 1:00pm to October 25, 2017 - 1:45pm

    In a special evening lecture on Tuesday, October 24, Tore Olson demonstrates how twentieth-century efforts to overcome poverty in East Tennessee through the Tennessee Valley Authority came to serve as a model for accomplishing similar goals in places s far-flung places, such as Mexico, India, and Afghanistan. After World War II, countless...

  • A Program of the Knox County Public Library and Humanities Tennessee
    October 16, 2017 - 7:00am to October 17, 2017 - 7:45am

    Why do some monuments provide powerful emotions while others are largely forgotten?  This public presentation will provide a broader context for debates about historical monuments to help Tennesseans think about the role these markers play in communities today.

    Presented by Dr. Ellen K. Daugherty, Professor of Art History, Memphis...

  • @ East Tennessee History Center
    October 11, 2017 - 7:00am to October 12, 2017 - 7:45am

    In conjunction with the feature exhibition Stories in Stitches: Quilts from the East Tennessee Historical Society's Permanent Collection guest co-curator and nationally and internationally known quilt historian Merikay Waldvogel will share her favorite Southern quilt stories, including several from the exhibit.

    Merikay Waldvogel...

  • @ East Tennessee History Center
    October 10, 2017 - 1:30pm to October 11, 2017 - 2:45pm

    Popular Appalachian author and New York Times best-seller Sharyn McCrumb will be at the East Tennessee History Center on October 10 as part of a launch tour for her new book, The Unquiet Grave. Set in 19th century West Virginia, McCrumb’s novel is based on the true story of one of the strangest murder trials in American...

  • @ East Tennessee History Center
    October 5, 2017 - 2:00pm to October 6, 2017 - 2:45pm

    Join Friends, the Knox County Public Library, Union Ave Books, and the East Tennessee Historical Society for an evening with best-selling author Denise Kiernan on Thursday, October 5, at the East Tennessee History Center. A reception will be held at 6 p.m.; at 7 p.m., Kiernan will speak about and sign copies of...

  • @ East Tennessee History Center
    August 20, 2017 - 9:30am to August 21, 2017 - 10:45am

    University of Tennessee–Knoxville history professor and author Dan Feller will give a lecture on Andrew Jackson’s influence on Native American removal in the United States to conclude the 10th Annual East Tennessee History Fair presented by the East Tennessee Historical Society. The lecture, which will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, August...

  • @ the East Tennessee History Center
    August 16, 2017 - 7:00am to August 17, 2017 - 7:45am

    From the institution of slavery to the black church, to businessmen, politicians, Knoxville College, schools, segregation laws, and much more, Knoxville historian Bob Booker will discuss 130 years (1844-1974) of black history in Knoxville. His encyclopedic knowledge was earned through decades of historical research and from the perusal of...

  • @ East Tennessee History Center
    August 9, 2017 - 7:00am to August 10, 2017 - 7:45am

    National History Day (NHD) competition is an annual contest for middle and high school students. Each year middle and high school students advance from school, district, and state levels to compete in the national finals at College Park, Maryland. East Tennessee students have proven amazingly competitive. This program will feature video...

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