Forest City, Iowa – On Tuesday, March 26, Waldorf College will welcome three speakers to campus for its History and Political Science Symposium. This year’s program, “Iowans in the Civil War,” will concentrate on the state’s involvement in the war, as well as Iowans that served with the Union and Confederate armies.
“The idea of the symposium is to discuss the significance of Iowa and its residents during that pivotal time in our nation’s history,” said Dr. James Scarry, symposium organizer and assistant professor of history atWaldorf.
“Also, the topic is fitting as it is the 150th anniversary of a key year in the Civil War: 1863 and the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg,” continued Scarry.
Speakers for the event include Dr. Terrence Lindell, professor of history at Wartburg College; Dave Holmgren, a former teacher and volunteer researcher at the State Historical Society of Iowa; and David Connon, an independent researcher and historical interpreter at Iowa Living HistoryFarms.
Dr. Lindell will discuss an Iowa unit that served during the war, while Holmgren will present research from the State Historical Society’s archives on the state’s role in the Civil War. Connon will talk about five Iowa residents that served with the Confederacy, exploring their motivations anddescribing their pre-war, wartime and post-war experiences.
The symposium will take place in Waldorf’s Atrium at 7:30 p.m. The event is free, and the public is invited to attend.
