The history department of The University of Memphis will hostthe 25th Annual Mid-American Conference on History, focusing oncivil rights and featuring speakers from universities across thenation.
"This is a very highly respected conference in history," saidMargaret Caffrey, associate professor in the history department atThe University.
The conference, which lasts until Saturday evening, begins todayin the Fogelman Executive Center at 1:30 p.m.
"It's a real benefit for The University to be hosting aconference like this," said Caffrey, a program chair for theconference. "It helps us become better known on a nationallevel."
The Mid-American Conference on History has traditionally beenheld west of the Mississippi River and never before in Memphis.
"Last year, the conference was in Fayetteville," said JosephHawes, conference coordinator and professor in The U of M historydepartment. "I think they wanted to come to a bigger city thisyear."
City scale aside, the conference will have a great effect on thenational perception of the Mid-South, those involved said.
"The presence of the conference at this university will broadenthe region that historians are pulled from," Caffrey said.
The conference will consist of lectures on subjects as variantas black-oriented radio stations in the South and abolitionideology among Atlantic Creoles.
"There will be lots of interesting topics being discussed on abroad scale," Hawes said.
Along with guest speakers, the conference will also feature aTriple-Header Saturday Tour, consisting of a trip to the STAXRecord Museum, the National Civil Rights Museum and Beale StreetSaturday afternoon.
"STAX is a new museum, and the National Civil Rights Museum isone of the top draws as far as attractions go," Hawes said. "We'llgo to Beale Street after all of the serious stuff is done."
While students may buy a three-day pass for $30 at the door orpre-register for tickets online, certain features of the conferenceare free, including two keynote addresses tonight and tomorrow fromtwo nationally prominent figures -- Jane Landers of VanderbiltUniversity and Patricia Sullivan of Harvard University, who isspeaking at the Fifth Annual Graduate Students Conference onAfrican-American History in conjunction with the Mid-AmericanConference.
"I am especially looking forward to the keynote speakers,"Caffrey said. "They are both very well known and respected."
To obtain a schedule of times and events for the 25th AnnualMid-American Conference on History, go towww.people.memphis.edu/~history/speakers.html or call the historydepartment at 678-2515.
"We'll be glad to have people come by and check us out," Hawessaid.
