The Center of History and Culture of Southeast Texas and the Upper Gulf Coast will host “Humor in Aluminum: Twisted Tales from the Texas Historical Marker Files” on January 29 at 5 p.m. in the University Reception Center, 8th floor of the Mary and John Gray Library on the campus of Lamar University. The reception, lecture, and book signing are free and open to the public.

Mining the state agency’s files, former Texas Historical Commission chief Dan Utley brings to light for the first time some of the challenges of maintaining one of the nation's most successful public history endeavors. Utley’s behind-the-scene stories are filled with humor, irony, and good old-fashioned Texas orneriness, providing insights that speak to the collective goal of preserving vestiges of the past for the future. 

For more information, contact Mary Scheer, director of the Center for History and Culture at (409) 880-8518 or email mary.scheer@lamar.edu.