The year 2011 begins the national commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. West Virginia, the only state born of the Civil War, celebrates her 150th birthday in 2013.
With these historic observances in mind, the Humanities Council announced its new Sesquicentennial Speakers Bureau.
The bureau consists of six respected speakers with expertise in a variety of Civil War and statehood-related topics. Beginning Jan. 1, each speaker is available for three presentations.
The Humanities Council pays the fees and expenses of the speakers.
Speakers are available to nonprofit groups such as historical societies and sites, museums, re-enactment events an other community organizations.
All programs must be publicized and free to the public. Requests for speakers should be received no later that the 10th of the month prior to the presentation month. For example, a request for a June 20 presentation should be made by May 10.
The offered topics and speakers are: "The Causes of the Civil War" by Dr. Mark Snell of Shepherd University; "Driving Tours for Civil War Battle Sites in the New River Valley" by Dr. David Bard of Concord University; "The Forgotten First Campaign: Western Virginia, 1861" by Hunter Lesser, author of "Rebels at the Gate"; "Slavery, Abolition and the Underground Railroad in Western Virginia" by Dr. Connie Rice Park of West Virginia University; "The 35th Star: West Virginia Statehood" by Joe Geiger, the state historian of West Virginia; and "John Brown at Harpers Ferry" by Dennis Frye of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.
Groups interested in scheduling a speaker should call program officer Mark Payne at 304-346-8500 or e-mail payne@wvhumanities.org.
