SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

“MICHIGAN IN THE CIVIL WAR - THEY DIED TO MAKE MEN FREE”

10:30 - Room B
Dr. William Anderson

Dr. Bill Anderson retired in 1998 following a 33-year career in higher education having served as an instructor, division chair, assistant to the president, dean of instruction, vice president and 21 years as a college president at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL and West Shore Community College located between Ludington and Manistee, MI.

In his second career, Bill served as a strategic planning consultant for industry, local units of government, economic development organizations and schools and was engaged as a writer and professional speaker.

While pursuing these interests, Governor John Engler appointed him the founding director of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries in August 2001. Governor Jennifer Granholm reappointed Dr. Anderson to her cabinet, to continue serving as the director of HAL.

Bill was recently appointed by Governor Granholm to serve as the State’s Liaison to the National Abraham Lincoln Bi-Centennial Commission.

He earned his bachelors and masters degrees in history and a doctorate in the administration of higher education. His secondary concentration was in speech communications.
Before beginning his career in education, he served in the Army as a commissioned officer in Germany with the 4th Armored Division.

Bill Anderson is a Civil War and baseball historian. He is the author/editor of seven books and seventeen published articles. Among his books are: They Died to Make Men Free: History of the 19th Michigan Infantry, We are Sherman’s Men: The Civil War Letters of Henry Orendorff, The Detroit Tigers: A Pictorial Celebration of the Greatest Players and Moments in Tigers’ History, and The View from the Dugout: The Journals of Red Rolfe. His history of the Detroit Tigers won the Award of Merit from the Historical Society of Michigan.

He has completed 34 published interviews of Detroit Tiger players, is a published reviewer of several books, served as historical evaluator of an original Civil War play produced by Western Illinois University and produced three Civil War re-enactments.

Dr. Anderson is a past president of the Historical Society of Michigan and a past member of two editorial boards and the Michigan Humanities Council.
He has served as the president of three chambers of commerce in Illinois and Michigan, chaired many economic development organizations and is the recipient of numerous awards including, being named Citizen of the Year in both Ludington and Manistee, Boss of the Year in Galesburg, Illinois, and twice named Business Leader of the Year (Galesburg and Ludington) for his work in economic development. He is a recipient of an honorary Associate of Arts Degree from Carl Sandburg College and an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Grand Valley State University. During its 30th anniversary celebration, the Michigan Humanities Council honored Anderson with its award for outstanding contributions to the Humanities of Michigan. Dr. Anderson will be discussing his book “They Died to Make Men Free: History of the 19th Michigan Infantry.”

“RESEARCHING A BOOK - LT. CURTIS Z.
PRATT IN THE CIVIL WAR ”

12:00 - Room B
Jon Reed

Jon DeLos Reed was born in Detroit, Michigan, of Scottish and Irish ancestry. In 1969, Mr. Reed received a Christmas present from his grandmother- her grandfather Curtis Z. Pratt’s 1864 Civil War photo album! He was so inspired by the photo album that he went on a quest to find out more about his ancestor, and has recently written a biography of his great great grandfather.

Mr. Reed retired in 2001 after a 42 year career as an engineer at General Motors Corporation. Being retired has given Mr. Reed the opportunity to further pursue his interest in the Civil War, especially in regards to his own family’s involvement in the conflict between the states. He is a member of Dearborn’s Sgt. John S. Cosbey Camp 427- Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War, and has prepared a historical novel about his great-great-grandfather in Michigan’s 6th Infantry. Mr. Reed is currently a student of Humanities at the University of Dearborn-Michigan, focusing on art history and philosophy.

“TEXTILES FROM THE CIVIL WAR ERA ”

1:30 - Room B
Bernice Carden

Bernice Carden is an expert in historic textiles and their care. During the summer months of her childhood, Ms. Carden spent many hours under the tutelage of her great grandmother, learning how to knit, crochet, do embroidery and crewel work. She developed a deep love for sewing and lush, beautiful fabrics from the times spent in her grandmother’s upholstery business. When her daughters were young, she delighted in making their play cloths and “special occasion” dresses.

Ms. Carden volunteered at the Dearborn Historical Museum as one of the coordinators of the “Rendezvous on the Rouge,” a dynamic living history event depicting the area’s early history. When a part-time position became available at the Historical Museum in 1992 for a seamstress and textile conservator, she applied for and received the position. Since that time Ms. Carden has cared for and educated the public on the Museum’s outstanding textile collection, as well as given public outreach programs on the Dearborn Historical Museum’s outstanding collections to area school children, senior citizen groups, and many civic organizations. Her presentation at the Kalamazoo Living History Show will focus on the museum’s large textile collection from the 1860’s.

 

“HISTORY OF THE MICHIGAN 6TH INFANTRY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF LT. CURTIS Z. PRATT ”

3:00 - Room B
Jon Reed

 

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