People, Land and Memories  

Wednesday, September 13  

Award-winning writer and librarian Bill Kemp will present The Unconquerable Kickapoo of Central Illinois, sharing how the Kickapoo Tribe has been remembered and misremembered by Central Illinois residents, removing some of the fiction surrounding the indigenous Indian tribe.

Award-winning literary scholar and distinguished professor, Dr. John Hallwas, will present The Land and the People Hold Memories, a new statewide memoir writing project reflecting upon the experiences of older Illinoisans in the post-World War II era.

Springfield Parks and Baseball  

Wednesday, October 11

Historian and librarian Stephanie Martin will provide a historical perspective of the storied public parks and green spaces found within the Springfield Park District, with a special focus on Lincoln, Iles, Enos and Duncan parks, sharing on their early 1900’s origins, their namesakes and benefactors, and designs.  

Historian and author, Dr. Robert Sampson, will speak to Early Baseball in Illinois, offering a vivid portrait of the epidemic growth of “base ball” which immediately followed the Civil War, where local teams and civic ambition went hand in hand, teams of paid professionals displaced gentlemen’s clubs devoted to sporting fair play, and the game mirrored many of society’s ills.      

Lake Springfield and Illinois Stories

Thursday, December 7

Author, curator, and librarian Curtis Mann will present The History of Lake Springfield, speaking to the origin, design and stories which created a unique municipal, recreational, and residential community along the lake’s shores.

Award-winning media writer, producer and announcer Mark McDonald will present Outtakes from Illinois Stories, speaking to his personal experiences and storytelling from his nearly two-decade role as host of the Emmy award-winning series.

Previous Lunch and Learn content is archived on MediaSpace.

If you have any questions, please contact UIS Advancement at advancement@uis.edu or 217-206-6058.