Two Lamar University faculty members will be among presenters for the 16th annual Beaumont History Conference.
John Storey, professor and chair of the Department of History, will discuss “Religion in Texas in the 20th Century,” and Mary Kelley, associate professor of history, will speak on “Philanthropy in Texas in the 20th Century.” Both topics are derived from their recent book, “Twentieth-Century Texas: A Social and Cultural History.”
The event will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, in St. Anthony’s Parish Hall, 700 Jefferson at Forsythe Street in Beaumont.
The conference also will feature a presentation by Ramona Hutchinson of Austin, a former faculty member and archivist for the Mary and John Gray Library, speaking on “W.P. Hobby’s Activities in Beaumont.”
Judy Linsley, adjunct instructor of history at Lamar, developed the program. Linsley is chief of interpretation and education at the McFaddin-Ward House.
Other presenters and their topics are Debra Johnson, Beaumont, “The 1893 Triple D Johnson Farm: African-American Farming in Jasper County”; Phil Caudill, The Woodlands, “Frontier Integrity at Grigsby Bluff: The Confederate Officer Behind Jefferson County’s Unknown Federal Soldier (W.B. Duncan)”; Paul Spellman, Wharton, “The Texas Rangers Bring Order to Batson Prairie, 1904”; Carroll Scogin-Brincefield, Corpus Christi, “Round up the Usual Suspects: A Study of Un-American Activities Along the Gulf Coast”; and the Very Rev. Jeremiah McGrath, Beaumont, “St. Anthony Basilica Restoration and Post-Conference Tour of the Basilica.”
The conference was moved to St. Anthony’s Parish Hall to accommodate the tour of the restored St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica.
Registration for the conference is required. The cost is $25 per person and includes lunch and coffee breaks. Registration forms are available at sponsor locations or from www.mcfaddin-ward.org/BHC. The forms may be mailed with checks or money orders to the McFaddin-Ward House, 725 Third St., through Jan. 21, 2009.
Registration questions can be directed to the McFaddin-Ward house, (409) 832-1906, and all other inquiries to conference chair Darlene Chodzinski, executive director of the Beaumont Heritage Society, (409) 898-0348
Among sponsoring organizations are the Lamar University Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum, Lamar University Department of History, McFaddin-Ward House, Beaumont Heritage Society, Beaumont Historical Landmark Commission, Texas Energy Museum, Edison Museum, Fire Museum of Texas, Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center, Southeast Texas Genealogical and Historical Society, Texas Gulf Historical Society and Tyrrell Historical Library Association.