UCO to Host ‘Making Meaning in the American West' Lecture Series, Nov. 14 and 25
Oct. 29, 2024
The University of Central Oklahoma’s Department of History and Geography will host the “Making Meaning in the American West” lecture series, Nov. 14 and 25, on UCO’s campus. The series will explore the experiences of women and families in the fur trade during the 19th century and the resilience of Oklahoman women during the Dust Bowl in the 1930s.
The series begins at 6 p.m., Nov. 14, in the UCO Liberal Arts building, Lecture Hall, with a presentation by Anne Hyde, Ph.D., professor of history at the University of Oklahoma, titled “Mixed Descent Families and the Fur Trade: Why a Successful Business System Became Illegal.” Hyde will explore the intersection of family heritage and economic policy, highlighting how multiracial fur trade families were affected by changing legislation. Hyde will also host a book signing before the lecture at 5:30 p.m., with books available for purchase.
“We are honored to bring Bancroft-awardee Dr. Anne Hyde to UCO,” said Chelsea Ball, Ph.D., assistant professor of history and director of the museum studies program at UCO.
“Dr. Hyde’s lecture on Indigenous and mixed-race families in early America is an excellent opportunity for students and faculty to engage with a leading scholar in the history of the American West.”
The series continues at 2 p.m., Nov. 25, with a presentation by Shelly Lemons, Ph.D., professor of history at McKendree University, and Steve Kite, Ph.D., professor of history social sciences and philosophy at the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith. Their presentation, "Chasing the Gloom Away: Cimarron County Oklahoma Women Versus the Dust Bowl," draws from oral history interviews with more than 100 Oklahoma women who lived through the Dust Bowl from 1932 to 1940. Lemons and Kite will examine the resilience and adaptability of these women in one of the most challenging periods in Oklahoma’s history.
Both events are free and open to the public. For more information on the “Making Meaning in the American West Lecture Series,” visit go.uco.edu/makingmeaning.
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Brendan Maxwell