McCord Library Speaker Schedule

2012 Friends of the Library

February Speakers Series

Our annual speaker series will be held in February again this year. The program, hosted at McCord each Saturday morning in February welcomes the community to enjoy speeches by noteworthy local professionals, free of charge.

McCord Speaker Series          February 2011     Publicity Info……

Feb 4   Underground Railroad—Andrew Adamus from the Erie County Historical Society  Follow the “Drinking Gourd” to Erie County, a place that served as a segment of the Underground Railroad in the mid-1800s.  Join Education and Outreach Director of ECHS as he discusses the amazing efforts of many locals as well as the myths and legends that surrounded the Underground Railroad

Feb. 11  Ghana --- Reverend David Oyler has spent several weeks in the last two years in northern Ghana meeting with educators, agricultural experts and church leaders.  Northern Ghana, while one of the poorest regions of the world, is also a vibrant forward looking culture. The pictures and presentation will introduce you to this remote region of the world, where tribal customs predominate and Christians and Muslims react in a very positive fashion.  Reverend Oyler, former pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of North East, currently serves as General Pryesbyter for the Presbytery of Lake Erie.

Feb. 18  Appalachian Trail  --- Barbara Fynan, hiker  The Appalachian Trail (AT) is a 2,180 mile long footpath through the wilderness that follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains, going from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Baxter State Park in Maine.  North East resident, Barbara Fynan recently completed her 6 year journey along this trail and will share some “tales of the trail,” facts about the trail and what it takes to do this hike.

Feb. 25 --- Susan Sprague will speak about the story of her father, Ted Sprague, North East hometown boy, who goes to New Orleans in 1938 and works for Andrew Jackson Higgins at Higgins Industries during World War II.  Higgins was an engineer who developed a life boat that was dropped from a B-17 Bomber Plane to rescue downed pilots at sea.  He also played a major role in designing PT Boats.  I will show two movies, one on the airborne lifeboats and the other on Higgins Industries. (Film about 40 minutes/can send photo of Higgins Boat being dropped)