A Brown Bag Lecture with Jack Neely

PROGRAM:   “The Fever that was Fatal to So Many”: Deadly Epidemics in Knoxville History, from the Plague of 1838 to the Spanish Flu or 1918-1919 | a Brown Bag Lecture by Jack Neely

ADMISSION:            FREE | Attendees are encouraged to bring a “brown bag” lunch

In a Brown Bag Lecture on Wednesday, November 8, Jack Neely will explore the history of epidemics and major outbreaks in East Tennessee, including the Plague of 1838 and the Spanish Flu of 1918-1919, and how they shaped our community. The program is presented by the East Tennessee Historical Society in partnership with the Knox County Public Library and is part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Big Read, featuring Emily St. John Mandel’s post-apocalyptic novel, Station Eleven, the story of a small band of actors and musicuals twenty years after a flue pandemic has wiped out 99% of the population.  Jack Neely is a well-known local author, historian, and the executive director of the Knoxville History Project.

The program is presented in partnership with the Knox County Public Library and is free and open to the public. The lecture will begin at noon at the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville. Guests are invited to bring a “Brown Bag” lunch and enjoy the lecture. Soft drinks will be available. For more information on the lecture, exhibitions, or museum hours, call 865-215-8824 or visit the website at www.EastTNHistory.org.