Presentation at the 20th Anniversary Celebration for the Funk Heritage Center of Reinhardt University.

I was recently honored at the Funk Heritage Center of Reinhardt University during ceremonies celebrating the mueum’s 20th anniversary. I have been named by the Reinhardt University Board of Trustees “Director Emeritus.” Provost Mark Roberts did the honors, as University President Kina Mallard and Board Chair Ken White and an audience of about 200 museum members and supporters listened. I was the first director of the center and served for 18 years, retiring in 2017. The occasion was also marked by the opening of new exhibits on the Cherokee Trail of Tears, a project begun during my tenure and completed under the new director Jeff Bishop. This recognition came as a very pleasant surprise to me. Thanks to the University and to the Funk Heritage Center

I have been invited to speak during the February history lecture series at the museum. My program at 2:00 PM on February 27 is entitled “The Other Irish: Ulster Immigrants in the Old South.” This is a fun program and should appeal to those who have Irish or Scots Irish ancestry-though you will learn that the protestant migration from the northern Irish counties had a very different influence than that of the immigration of Catholic Irish during and after the “Potato Famine” in the mid-19th century. And, with “Brexit” now assured by the recent parliamentary elections, we will have a look at the difficulties this presents for the United Kingdom.