Establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is topic of Nov. 11 lecture

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 4, 2008
Contact: Karen B. Eldridge, Director of News and Public Information
865.981.8207; karen.eldridge@maryvillecollege.edu

Dr. Dan Pierce, a history professor at the University of North Carolina-Asheville, will bring Maryville College’s 2008 Appalachian Lecture Series to a close Nov. 11 with his presentation “A Fairy Dream on a Goat Hill: The Unlikely Story of the Establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the Lawson Auditorium of Maryville College’s Fayerweather Hall.

Pierce’s talk is expected to include research drawn from his history book The Great Smoky Mountain National Park: From Natural Habitat to Natural Park. During his presentation he will address some of the park’s surprising facts and talk about how communities from the area helped to make its unlikely formation a reality.

The park celebrates its 75th birthday next year.

Pierce’s book and copies of the 75th anniversary edition of Smokies Life magazine will be available for sale at the lecture.

2008 marks the 21st year of the Appalachian Lecture Series, which was envisioned as a vehicle for recognizing the unique and valuable contributions of Southern Appalachian culture. For two decades, the Series has invited artists, scholars, musicians, writers and historians to the College campus each fall to give presentations on the heritage, as well as the future, of the region.

For more information on the Appalachian Lecture Series, contact Dr. Susan Schneibel, professor of comparative literature and chair of the College’s Division of Languages and Literature, at 865.981.8251 or susan.schneibel@maryvillecollege.edu.

Maryville College is ideally situated in Maryville, Tenn., between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state's third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Known for its academic rigor and its focus on the liberal arts, Maryville is where students come to stretch their minds, stretch themselves and learn how to make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2009 semester is 1,103.