Famous Alabamians

When:
October 17, 2019 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
2019-10-17T10:00:00-05:00
2019-10-17T11:00:00-05:00
Where:
Downtown Library Auditorium

Instructors: Various

Aug. 15: Harper Lee – This fascinating, misunderstood southern writer authored To Kill A Mockingbird in 1960, after which she published only a few short essays. Fiercely private, she didn’t give interviews, explaining “I wouldn’t go through all the terrible publicity and the strain on what happened with Mockingbird for any amount of money.” Instructor: Mary Pat Riley.

Sep. 19: Albert Patterson was elected Alabama Attorney General in 1954 but was assassinated before assuming office. He had run on the platform of “cleaning up corrupt Phenix City,” which had a long history of illegal gambling, prostitution and alcohol sales. His son, John Malcolm Patterson, later won the Democratic nomination for Attorney General and was elected Governor of Alabama in 1958. Instructor: Tom Borcher.

Oct. 17: Joe Louis, nicknamed the “Brown Bomber,” Louis impressed the boxing scene in 1934 with style and skill the boxing world had not seen. Considered one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all times, he remains a role model of good sportsmanship. Instructor: Guy Collins.

Nov. 21: W. C. Handy known worldwide as the “Father of the Blues”, wrote the most recorded song of all time, the St. Louis Blues. His minister father wanted W.C. to follow his footsteps, but Handy chose music. Instructor: Doug Turner