Dr. Scott Reynolds Nelson, Leslie and Naomi Legum Professor of History at  The College of William & Mary, will deliver a lecture on November 18th at 6:00 p.m. in CSU’s Parker Hannifin Hall.  The lecture, entitled The Death of John Henry and the Birth of Rock and Roll, investigates the life and legend of John Henry as a way of exploring the tradition of work songs and their evolution into blues and rock and roll.

The event is presented by the CSU Department of History and the Center for Public History & Digital Humanities as a component of the Teaching American History workshop, Constructing Consuming and Conserving America. The lecture is free and open to the public. Students, teachers, and scholars from all levels and fields are invited to attend.

Scott Reynolds Nelson is the winner of the Arts Club of Washington’s inaugural National Award for Arts Writing for Steel Drivin’ Man: John Henry, The Untold Story of an American Legend (Oxford University Press). Steel Drivin’ Man has also received a 2007 Merle Curti Prize from the Organization of American Historians and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Nonfiction, an award that recognizes books on race and culture.

Scott Reynolds Nelson
The Death of John Henry and the Birth of Rock and Roll
Wednesday, November 18 at 6:00 pm
Parker Hannifin Hall, 2258 Euclid Avenue
Reception at 5:30 pm

For more information contact the History Department at 216.523.7190 or Dr. Mark Tebeau: 216.687.3937 or m.tebeau@csuohio.edu.