Upcoming Events at the Oklahoma Historical Society
Back to the Moon, November 12
The Oklahoma History Center presents Back to the Moon with Andy Chaikin, an award winning science journalist, on November 12, 2009. The Oklahoma History Center will open its galleries at 6:00 PM and the program will begin at 7:00 PM. Admission to the museum and program is free, but seating is limited. View flyer - PDF 249kb
Forty years after the historic Apollo 11 moon landing, Andrew Chaikin looks back at the incredible lunar adventures of Armstrong, Aldrin, and the other Apollo astronauts who made humanity’s first journeys to another world. Chaikin will share anecdotes from his extensive conversations with the moon-voyagers during his research for "A Man on the Moon."
He will also present the findings of the recent LCROSS lunar-impact mission, which attempted to discover whether deposits of ancient ice await future lunar explorers. This current NASA Mission will impact the lunar surface on October 9, 2009!
Andrew Chaikin has authored several books and articles about space exploration and astronomy for more than 25 years. He is best known as the author of A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts, widely regarded as the definitive account of the moon missions.
For more information on Back to the Moon contact Jason Harris at 405-522-0785 or by email at jharris@okhistory.org.
Free School Program November 12 at 10:00am & 11:30am
Free Teacher Workshop 4:00pm to 5:00pm
What formed the craters of the moon? Why does the moon
always keep one face pointed toward the Earth, and why does
the side we see look so different from the far side? Where did
the Apollo astronauts visit, and what
did they find? Learn the answers to
these and other fascinating moon
mysteries when science journalist
and space historian Andrew Chaikin
gives a Guided Tour of the Moon.
Chaikinwill also present the findings
of the LCROSS lunar-impact mission,
which struck the moon’s south
pole on October 9 to tell scientists
whether deposits of ancient ice lie
waiting at the lunar poles.” These programs are free for teachers and students but registration is required. View flyer - PDF 232kb
Portrait of a President: An Evening with Abraham Lincoln, November 19
Join the Oklahoma History Center and President Abraham Lincoln on the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address! This program will focus on this pivotal speech and his presidency as well as the strife created by a nation at war.
Abraham Lincoln will be portrayed by Fritz Klein from the Lincoln Institute for Education. Admission is free but seating is limited. The Oklahoma History Center will open at 6:00pm and the program begins at 7:00pm. View the flyer - PDF 184kb.
For more information contact Jason Harris at 405-522-0785 or jharris@okhistory.org.
Free School Program November 19 at 10:00am & 11:30am
This living history program will allow students to step back in time and meet the president in person. Let the President open your student’s eyes to the politics and events of the American Civil War.
Free Teacher Workshop 4:00pm to 5:00pmTeachers will gain valuable insight and information on one of the most respected and valued of our nation’s leaders. Free for students and teachers, registration is required. View the flyer - PDF 203kb.
For more information contact Jason Harris at 405-522-0785 or jharris@okhistory.org
"Tradition is My Life, Education is My Future"
2009 Winners to be Displayed at the History Center
The winners of the 2009 Native American Student Artist Competition "Tradition is My Life, Education is My Future" will be on display at the Oklahoma History Center April 26 to May 31, 2010. This contest is offered by the US Department of Education Office of Indian Education. For details visit http://kids.indianeducation.org/index.cfm?page=artistcircle.cfm.
Soul of a People: Writing America's Story Screening at the Oklahoma History Center Saturday, December 5 at 1pm
Oklahoma History Center and the Smithsonian Channel revisit FDR’S Federal Writers Project in this powerful new documentary. View flyer.
It was a time of unparalleled national crisis; as millions of Americans faced unemployment, vanishing life savings, banks foreclosing on homes and feeling a general loss of hope, Americans turned to a newly elected President to lead them out of this turbulent time.
It sounds eerily like today’s current events. But Smithsonian Channel’s "Soul of a People: Writing America’s Story," screening at the Oklahoma History Center on October 31, 2009 shows that the Great Depression also created a unique opportunity to capture the essence of America. The documentary explores one of the most controversial public assistance programs of the Great Depression.
The Federal Writers Project was one of four arts programs under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Project employed thousands of unemployed writers, including Richard Wright, Saul Bellow and John Cheever, to fan out across America, interview its citizens, and produce a portrait of the USA from the ground up in a series of state travel guides. They captured a unique portrait of 1930’s Americana. But what began as a program to create guidebooks for every state ended up igniting a storm of controversy when writers sought out not only the triumphs of America, but also its tragedies.
At its peak, the Project employed over 6,600 people in all 48 states. They included a handful of published authors, old newspaper reporters, former school teachers and others. Two of its better-known workers, Studs Terkel (in one of his last interviews before passing away in October 2008) and Stetson Kennedy, are interviewed for the documentary.
In addition to Kennedy and Terkel, the documentary features interviews with a diverse group of leading authors, poets, and historians, including Douglas Brinkley and David Bradley, who provide witty and heartbreaking insights into the Project.
Filmed entirely in high definition, "Soul Of A People: Writing America's Story" premiered on Smithsonian Channel on September 6th. It is a Spark Media Production produced for Smithsonian Networks™ with a major funding grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. It is produced and directed by Andrea Kalin and based on the book, "Soul Of A People," by David A. Taylor. Taylor also serves as co-producer and co-writer for the documentary. Award winning actress Patricia Clarkson is the narrator.
"Soul of a People" is screening at the Oklahoma History Center on December 5, 2009 at 1pm. For more information, contact Jason Harris at 405-522-0785 or jharris@okhistory.org.