The Annual Meeting of the East Tennessee Historical Society will be held on May 6 at the
Museum of
Appalachia in Norris. Guests are encouraged to arrive early to tour the museum. A reception and cash bar will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30. They keynote speaker for the meeting will be Jeff Biggers, travel writer and author of The United States of Appalachia: How Mountaineers Brought Independence, Enlightenment, and Innovation to
.
In Mr. Bigger’s program, he who will look beyond hillbilly stereotypes to examine
Appalachia as a place that has often been in the vanguard of innovation and social change. As examples, he points to the Overmountain victory at the Battle of King’s Mountain, Sequoyah as the inventor of the first syllabary in modern times, the strength of the anti-slavery movement in the region, and Adolph Och’s rise to greatness at The New York Times, via Knoxville and
Chattanooga . More recent example include Tennessee’s decisive role in the fight for woman suffrage, the Highlander Folk School’s work in training Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks during the Civil Rights Movement, and the rich tapestry of writers, musicians, and politicians from the area.
Jeff Biggers’ award-winning stories have appeared on National Public Radio and in scores of travel, literary, and music magazines, and national and foreign newspapers. His work has received numerous honors, including the American Book Award, a ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award, a Lowell Thomas Award for Travel Journalism, and an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship. Born in Ohio and raised in Illinois and Arizona, Biggers holds a B.A. in History and English from
Hunter
College in New York City and has studied at the
University of
California at Berkeley,
Columbia
University , and the
University of
Arizona .
In addition to Mr. Bigger’s lecture, the Annual Meeting will provide an opportunity for the Society to recognize individuals or organizations that have made special contributions toward the preservation, promotion, or interpretation of the area’s history. Categories for recognition include the Teaching Excellence Award, History in the Media Award, Award of Distinction, and the Ramsey Award for Lifetime Achievement.
For more information on the 2008 Annual Meeting or to order tickets, contact ETHS at 865-215-8824.
