Reinhardt University History Program to Host 2nd Annual Symposium:

Intertwining Gold, Religion and Education in Northern Georgia

Come Explore

• in their own words, the ambitions & dilemmas of 19th-century Georgians living in the gold fields
• the interplay of gold mining, kinship, & religious networks as ingredients in the creation of the North Georgia educational landscape
• the intriguing mixture of motivations & methods in the growth of schools in North Georgia

Hear little-known and never-heard-before stories

Delve into these topics at Reinhardt’s 2nd annual regional history symposium to be held March 22 & 23, 2013, on Reinhardt’s campus in Waleska, Ga. This event is supported by Reinhardt University History Program and by the Georgia Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities and through appropriations from the Georgia Assembly.

Make your plans now to take a look back with this unique gathering of experts eager to share their findings! This event is free, and the public is encouraged to attend. To register, please visit the online registration page, or call 770-720-5943.

Symposium Schedule

All activities are in the Bannister Glasshouse in the Hasty Student Life Center, unless otherwise noted.

Friday, March 22

• 3:30 p.m. – “Waleska as Epicenter: Gold-seeking Methodists & the Development of Emory, Reinhardt & Young Harris Colleges” (featured address by Dr. Kenneth Wheeler)
• 5 p.m. – Optional dinner in the nearby Gordy Center for $6.50 per person
• 7 p.m. – “Echoes of Cherokee County,” dramatic readings from selected primary historical documents  (produced by Dr. Kevin Crawford, Assistant Professor of English and Theatre, Reinhardt University).

Saturday, March 23

• 8:30 a.m. - Continental Breakfast
• 9 a.m. – “Emancipation & Education in ‘Them Thar Hills’: Schools & North Georgia After the Civil War” (featured address by Dr. Jennifer Lund Smith)
• 10 a.m. – “Understanding the Intertwinings” Panelists Dr. Jonathan Atkins, Berry College; Dr. Tene Harris Davis, Georgia State University; and Dr. Kenneth H. Wheeler, Reinhardt University will share remarks & answer audience questions.

University photographers will be on hand to record the event. The photos and/or video taken will be used to publicize future such events in print, video or online.  Should you not wish to be photographed, please alert the Reinhardt staff, and he/she will do his/her best to shoot around you.

Biographies of Program Leaders

	Kenneth H. Wheeler, Ph.D. - Professor of History Reinhardt University Dr. Wheeler is the author of "Cultivating Regionalism," a book on regional identity & the history of education. Recently he presented papers & published an article on the development of northern Georgia. He has also delivered scholarly papers on the antebellum iron industry in the Etowah Valley to the American Historical Association, the Georgia Association of Historians & the Southern Industrialization Project.
	Jennifer Lund Smith, Ph.D. - Associate Professor of History North Georgia College & State University Dr. Smith has just completed a term as president of the Georgia Association of Historians.  She earned her doctoral degree from The University of Georgia, where she researched the creation of educational institutions for blacks & whites in late 19th century Georgia. Her publications include chapters in two books: “Georgia in Black & White” & “Appalachians & Race.
	Kevin S. Crawford Ph.D. - Assistant Professor of English & Theater Reinhardt University Dr. Crawford is a published Elizabethan scholar & accomplished actor. With the assistance of local historian & Reinhardt alumnus G. Richard Wright & Dr. Kenneth Wheeler, he has created a set of dramatic readings drawn from local historical sources that provide insight into the settlement & development of Cherokee County from the 1820s to the 1860s.

Georgia Humanities Council
The Georgia Humanities Council is a nonprofit organization working to ensure that humanities and culture remain an integral part of the lives of Georgians. For more >

One of major projects of the GHC is the The New Georgia Encyclopedia, which was developed by the Georgia Humanities Council, in partnership with the University of Georgia Press, the University System of Georgia/GALILEO, and the Office of the Governor of Georgia. Since 1998 the Council has led the planning and development efforts for the NGE.