Moments in Time
Thank Our Sponsor—SouthFirst Bank
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 – Ben Severance
“Portraits of Conflict: A Photographic History of Alabama in the
Civil War”
Ben Severance compiled over 230 rare photographs of Alabamians during the Civil War for his latest book – a
volume in the “Portraits of Conflict” series. The author pointed to Alabama as unusual among the Rebel
states in that, while its people saw little fighting inside its boundaries, nearly one hundred thousand
Alabamians served with Confederate units throughout the South. Severance used photographs to chronicle
Confederate experiences in almost every battle east of the Mississippi River – Sharpsburg, Chancellorsville,
Gettysburg, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga and at the famous siege of Vicksburg. Ultimately, Union soldiers did
invade the state , and Alabamians defended their homeland. Severance will draw on a sample of his
photographs, explain the selection process, place each individual in his/her historical context, and demonstrate
the value of using photographs to depict the literal face of war.
Ben H. Severance is an associate professor of history at Auburn University Montgomery and a former officer
in the United States Army. He is the author of Tennessee’s Radical Army: The State Guard and its Role in
Reconstruction, 1867-1869.
Mome
nts in
Time
Wednesday, November 7, 2012 – Dolores Hydock
“Abundant Blessings: Stories for the Thanksgiving Season”
Just in time for the Thanksgiving season, gifted story teller, Dolores Hydock, will tell stories to bring back
memories and to whet appetites for that special time of the year. Dolores said, “What does pumpkin pie have to
do with just desserts? And what does Thanksgiving have to do with going fishing? Find out these stories of sibling
rivalry, sweet potato casserole, sudden disaster, and the amazing gift of realizing just how much there is to be
thankful for.” Don’t miss Dolores as she dishes out tales cooked up just for this Thanksgiving special!
Hydock, originally from Pennsylvania, is an actress and story performer whose work has been featured in a
variety of concerts, festivals, and special events throughout the United States. She is a touring artist for the
Alabama State Council on the Arts, a speaker with the Alabama Humanities Foundation, and a member of the
Southern Order of Storytellers. Dolores lives in Birmingham, Alabama, and in her spare time, teaches Cajun and
zydeco dancing. She is a great favorite with the brown bag lecture audience and her entertaining and thoughtprovoking stories will leave them wanting more of the same!
B.B. Comer Memorial Library Fall 2012 Lecture Series
B.B. Comer Memorial Library
Presents
The B.B. Comer Memorial Library . . . . .
Educates
Entertains
Enriches
Inspires
We Depend on Your Contributions
Visit our website at www.bbcomerlibrary.net and click on
Donate Now!
For More Information Phone 256 249-0961
The SouthFirst Bank
Lecture Series
“Moments in Time”
A special thanks to our media partners:
TV 47; The Daily Home; Sylacauga Today; WYEA Radio; WFEB Radio; The Local Issue
Moments in Time
Wednesday, September 19 , 2012 – Harvey H. (Hardy) Jackson
Wednesday, October 10, 2012 – Ralph B. Draughon, Jr.
“The Rise and Decline of the Redneck Riviera”
“Coach John Heisman: On Stage at Auburn, 1895-1899”
Between Gulf Shores, Alabama, and the Flora-Bama bar on the Florida line is the region sometimes called the
Redneck Riviera. Once populated by roadhouses and seafood joints, this storied strip now boasts upscale
condominiums and gated communities with a more sophisticated and affluent clientele. One reviewer said that
Hardy Jackson’s book – The Rise and Decline of the Redneck Riviera – reflects the lessening availability of it to the
working man and his family as a place to do the things they couldn’t back home. Author/scholar, Jerry E. Brown
said, “Hardy’s breezy style is perfect to convey the ebbs and flows of this well-named section of the coast; his family
has owned a place there nearly forever and he has experienced and observed the fortunes of that part of the
panhandle through happy and hard times.”
Harvey H. (Hardy) Jackson, III grew up in Grove Hill, Alabama. He is a graduate of Marion Military Institute,
Birmingham Southern College, the University of Alabama, and the University of Georgia. He has taught at
universities in Florida and Georgia, and is currently Jacksonville University Professor and Eminent Scholar in
History. Jackson is the author, co-author, or co-editor of thirteen books on various aspects of southern history; he
writes a popular column for the Anniston Star/Daily Home on contemporary issues and southern culture.
The celebrated John Heisman, who coached Auburn’s football team for five winning seasons from
1895-1899, at the same time trod the boards, off season, as a professional actor. The college
remembers Heisman for coaching football (and sometimes baseball), but his services to the muse of
drama have been forgotten. Besides delivering Shakespearean monologues to local audiences, he
created and starred in, for two seasons, The A.P.I Dramatic Club, the first dramatic society ever on
the Auburn Campus. Ralph Draughon, Jr. describes Heisman’s lively theatrical presentations, and
some repercussions on the football field in a lecture that emphasizes Heisman, the temperamental
actor rather than Heisman the (also temperamental) football coach.
Ralph B. Daughon, Jr., has a PhD in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
His dissertation was on Alabama secessionist, William Lowndes Yancy. Draughon has worked with
the Alabama Historical Commission and the Jules Collins Smith Museum of Fine Arts.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012 – Julie Hedgepeth Williams
Wednesday, September 26, 2012 – Craig Turner Sheldon, Jr.
“A Rare Titanic Family: The Caldwell’s Story of Survival”
“The Creek War of 1813-1814: The Beginning of Alabama”
Julie H. Williams helps mark the 100 anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic by telling the detailed
story of the short life of the Titanic and the saga of the survival on Lifeboat 13 of her great Uncle
Albert, his wife Sylvia and their 10-month-old son, Alden. Williams’ account draws on firsthand
accounts from Uncle Albert and extensive research to tell the fascinating story of the young family
who were saved by what she calls “a combination of luck, pluck, Albert’s outgoing nature, Sylvia’s
illness and Alden’s helplessness.” The trip is only part of the bigger nightmare for the Caldwells. They
were Presbyterian missionaries in Bangkok, Siam who were on a desperate journey to save Sylvia’s
health, but fellow missionaries accused them of plotting to renege on their contract and though they
survived the trip on the Titanic, they never got out from under the shadow the ship cast over them.
Julie Hedgepeth Williams is a journalism professor at Samford University. She received her BA in
English and history from Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, and a master’s in journalism and a PhD in
mass communications from the University of Alabama. Williams is also the author of Wings of
The war between the Creek Indians of Alabama and the Americans has been overlooked as a significant event in the
history of the United States. Yet, without it, the history, folklore, state boundaries, and culture of Alabama and the
southeastern United States would have been radically different. The war opened Alabama to settlement by migrants
from surrounding states and began the process of removing Indian groups. Thirty years of archaeological and
historic investigations have produced more accurate and complete pictures of 17 th and 18th century creek culture.
This presentation will outline and discuss past and present research into the war.
Craig Turner Sheldon, Jr., Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Auburn-Montgomery, is
an archaeologist with research interests in the late prehistoric and early historic periods of the southeastern United
States. Born in Fairhope, Alabama, he attended the University of Alabama where he received his BA. At the
University of Oregon where he earned his MA and PhD, he was a National Defense Education Act Fellow. He is a
member of Phi Eta Sigma, Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi honor societies.
th
Opportunity: The Wright Brothers in Montgomery, 1910.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012 – General Charles “Chick” Cleveland
Wednesday, October 24, 2012 – Donna Cox Baker
with Warren A. Trest
“Alabama Heritage: Exploring Our State’s History—One Article
“Mig Alley: the Fight for Air Superiority in Korea”
at a Time”
In Warren Trest’s upcoming biography of General Cleveland— Once a Fighter Pilot— he states “The MiG-15s
showed over the Yalu in late 1950. Before the arrival of the USAF’s high performance F-86s, the Mig-15s had
established air superiority and had free reign of the skies. That’s why the Air Force bought the F-86s to counter
them. Two wings of F-86s were sent to the theater in late 1950 because it was the only aircraft on the friendly side of
the Iron Curtain that could meet the Mig-15 on equal or better terms. Most of the fighter pilots wanted a shot at the
MiGs, and they knew that their best chance at getting the enemy fighters in their gun sights would be from the
cockpit of an F-86. In early 1952, 1st Lt. Cleveland joined the 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing at Kimpo on the outskirts
of Seoul. He couldn’t wait to climb into the cockpit and take part in defense of South Korea’s freedom.”
Warren Trest, former Air Force senior historian, has authored and co-authored more than fifty military histories
and studies. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star medals as U.S. Army combat reporter in the
Korean War and the medal for Civilian Service while serving as an AF historian in Vietnam. Trest will introduce
General Cleveland who will tell his ‘fighter pilot’ story. Cleveland was a Korean War fighter ace and former
For over a quarter of a century, Alabama’s state-based magazine, Alabama Heritage, has been telling
our stories through articles filled with warm and informative writing intertwined with outstanding
photographs and illustrations. The quarterly publication has been an excellent reflection on Alabama
with lively, colorful articles about the fascinating people, places and events that have shaped the
history of the state as well as the South. Awards have been given to AH for best writing about the
environment, the plight of historic places, and for the coverage of every period in the diverse and
complex history of our state. A vast network of people creates the stories and keeps the magazine
thriving. Baker will take the audience behind the scenes to see the past and the present as well as a
glimpse into the future of this gem of a magazine.
Donna Cox Baker, Editor-in-Chief of Alabama Heritage magazine, holds degrees from Auburn
University, UAB, and is working on a PhD in history at the University of Alabama. She served as
managing editor at UAB of the Vulcan Historical Review which became the top student journal in the
nation under her leadership. She has taught history as an adjunct instructor at the University of
Alabama at Birmingham and at the University of Alabama. The Alabama Heritage is published in
Tuscaloosa by the University of Alabama, UAB, and the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
commander of Air University. He is also president of the American Fighter Aces Association.
B.B. Comer Memorial Library*314 North Broadway Avenue*Sylacauga, Alabama 35150
Phone 256 249-0961*www.bbcomerlibrary.net
Libraries—The Heart
of Every Community
Continued on next page