Old State House Museum commemorating Central High, WWI and Titan II explosion

The Old State House Museum’s September calendar will explore several major events in Arkansas history.

With the 60th anniversary of the Central High crisis, the museum will hold a brown bag luncheon on Thursday, September 14 from noon to 1 p.m. Toni Webber, Park Interpreter for the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, talks about the events that occurred 60 years ago and why they are still important today, the commemoration of that time and place as a national historic site, and details about the upcoming 60th anniversary commemorative events.

On Saturday, September 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., there will be a seminar on Arkansas’ role in World War I. Noted Arkansas history scholars will share their research on the lasting impact World War I had on Arkansas. Topics include Southern soldiers in the war, the roles of women on the homefront and the battlefront, the growth of Arkansas’s manufacturing economy during the war, and the enduring effects the war had on African Americans.

Presenters include Dr. Shawn Fisher, Dr. Carl Drexler, Elizabeth Hill, and Dr. Cherisse Jones-Branch. During breaks, Arkansas folk musician Charley Sandage will share some of his own World War I-themed songs. Reservations are required, so contact [email protected] or 501-324-9685.

On Thursday, September 28 from 6-9 p.m., the Old State House Museum Associates’ premier museum fundraiser features Air Force Crewman Greg Devlin, a survivor of the 1980 Damascus Titan II missile explosion, who was featured on the PBS American Experience program “Command and Control.”

Other speakers for “Disaster in Damascus: The Titan II Missile Explosion” will also give their experiences of that catastrophic night, including Sid King, owner of Clinton, Arkansas radio station KGFL, and Skip Rutherford, Dean of the Clinton School of Public Service, who was an aide to Senator David Pryor at that time.

Tickets are $100 each. Go to oldstatehouseassociates.org or contact OSHMA executive director Sammye Johnston by email, [email protected] or phone, 501-664-1879.