James H. Madison, Thomas and Kathryn Miller Professor Emeritus of History at Indiana University, Bloomington, will be the speaker for this year’s University of Evansville Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture. The event is planned for Friday, November 3. at 7:00 p.m. in Room 170 (Smythe Lecture Hall) in the Schroeder School of Business Building. This is the 16^th year for the lecture, which is free and open to the public.

Madison will be delivering an illustrated lecture on “Hoosiers and the Long Struggle for Racial Equality.”

For over two centuries the people of Indiana have struggled with challenges of race. There were times when African American Hoosiers could not vote, when the danger of lynching was real, when the Ku Klux Klan seemed right and necessary, when segregationists created schools, restaurants, and basketball tournaments for whites only. Beginning in the1950s, Indiana reformers began a push toward equality that we know as the great civil rights movement. Madison’s lecture will focus on several flash points of challenge and change to spark thinking about race and about where we have been, where we are, and where we want to go as citizens in a changing world.

Madison is without doubt one of the most distinguished scholars to work in the field of Indiana history. An award winning teacher for over four decades at IU, he is the author of several books, including Eli Lilly: A Life; A Lynching in the Heartland: Race and Memory in America; and Slinging Doughnuts for the Boys: An American Woman in World War II. He has taught as a Fulbright professor in Japan and England and has served on the boards of Indiana Humanities and the Indiana Historical Society, as well as being a member of the Indiana Bicentennial Commission. Madison’s most recent book is the highly acclaimed bicentennial history, Hoosiers: A New History of Indiana; it is the basis for an Emmy-awarded PBS documentary on Indiana’s history.

“Professor Jim Madison is an extremely eminent scholar of Indiana History and we are absolutely thrilled to bring him to the University of Evansville to deliver the Fiddick Lecture and interact with students in class,” said James MacLeod, UE professor of history and director of the Fiddick Memorial Lecture Series.

“As recent events have catapulted race relations back into the center of public discourse,” MacLeod added, “this is a perfect time to educate ourselves about the history of racial equality in our home state. There can be few better-qualified people to tell this story than Professor Madison. It is especially appropriate given Tom Fiddick’s lifelong passion for many of the key issues discussed by Jim Madison, especially Civil Rights.”

Thomas C. Fiddick, for whom the Fiddick Memorial Lecture is named, served as professor of history at the University of Evansville from 1963 to 2002. In his 39 years at the University, he was a dedicated teacher, a productive scholar, and a tireless fighter in the cause of justice. His untimely death on the day of his retirement in 2002 stunned the UE community, especially his many former students. It was from the former students’ efforts in particular, with the support of Fiddick’s friends and the University, that the annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture was established.

“The Fiddick Lecture is one of the best events of the year, as we get to celebrate the career of a truly outstanding faculty member here at UE,” MacLeod said. “Tom Fiddick was a brilliant scholar and an incredible teacher who made a life-transforming impact on generations of students.”

For more information, please contact the UE Department of History at 812-488-2963.

Monday, October 9 and Tuesday, October 10

Fall Break

The University of Southern Indiana will not hold classes on Monday, October 9 and Tuesday, October 10. University offices will remain open both days. Classes will resume on Wednesday, October 11.

6 p.m. Wednesday, October 11

Hispanic Heritage Keynote speaker to speak on future of America

The University of Southern Indiana will host “Shaping the Bright Future of America,” a keynote address from Shayla Rivera, professor of practice and director of the ENGR[x] Program at Texas A&M University, at 6 p.m. Wednesday, October 11 in Carter Hall. The event, which is presented as part of Hispanic Heritage Month, is free and open to the public. Read More

4 p.m. Thursday, October 12

USI to host fifth annual Flowers on the Lake ceremony

The University of Southern Indiana’s Sexual Assault Gender Violence Prevention Committee will host their fifth annual Flowers on the Lake ceremony at 4 p.m. Thursday, October 12 in front of the Liberal Arts building. The ceremony, held in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, is free and open to the public. Read More

4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Thursday, October 12

Southern Indiana Reading Series to hold reading from two acclaimed poets

The Southern Indiana Reading Series will present readings and discussions with two amazing poets, Matthew Guenette and Maggie Smith, on Thursday, October 12. The first reading will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the University of Southern Indiana Griffin Center, which will be followed by a reception. The second reading will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Red Bank Library in Evansville. Books will be available for purchase and for signing at both locations. Both events are free and open to the public. Read More

7 p.m. Thursday, October 12

Sculptor Richard Hunt to return to USI for free lecture

Richard Hunt, nationally renowned sculptor, will return to the University of Southern Indiana to present a free lecture entitled “Richard Hunt: American Sculptor” at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 12 in Carter Hall. Hunt’s presentation will be free and open to the public as seating is available. Hunt was last in Evansville for the dedication of his sculpture, From Our Past Toward Our Future, on the USI Quad on October 22, 2015. Read More

Thursday, October 12 – Sunday, October 15

USI Theatre Opens the Season with Anon(ymous)

University of Southern Indiana Theatre will open its 2017-18 season with the play Anon(ymous), written by Naomi Iizuka. The production runs October 12-15 in the USI Performance Center located in University Center East on USI’s campus. Tickets are $2 for USI students, $12 for USI employees, $4 for non-USI students (student ID required), $13 seniors (60+), and $15 for adults. Shows start at 7:00 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. for the Sunday matinee. To purchase tickets or for more information visit USI.edu/Theatre or call the box office at 812-465-1668. Read More

Saturday, October 14

USI Parents and Family Weekend

The University of Southern Indiana welcomes families and friends to explore the campus and get a firsthand look at what life is like at USI. This event offers an opportunity to visit your student’s campus home, meet other USI families, take part in campus activities, meet President Linda L. M. Bennett, take a tour of campus and have your family photo taken with Archie, USI’s mascot. A full schedule of campus and area events can be found on the USI website.

11 a.m. Saturday, October 14

Global Crossroads festival to celebrate cultures thriving in southern Indiana

The University of Southern Indiana and Historic New Harmony will present the 4th annual Global Crossroads Multicultural Festival, highlighting the diverse cultures that thrive in southern Indiana. The festival is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, October 14 at the Ribeyre Gymnasium in New Harmony Indiana. Global Crossroads celebrates a diverse mix of cultures through food trucks and booths, fair-trade gifts, children’s activities, live music, dance performances, education and more. The event attracted over 1,000 visitors from all over the Midwest in 2016. Read More

Exhibition open through Sunday, October 29

USI to hold double exhibition of photographs, prints

The McCutchan Art Center/Pace Galleries at the University of Southern Indiana will present two exhibits simultaneously. A Time and A Place: the Photographs of Sonny Brown from the University Archives and Special Collections and Richard Hunt: American Sculptor will both open on Wednesday, September 20 and run through Sunday, October 29. Former USI art faculty member Kristen Wilkins will present a free public lecture on the exhibit, “The Artist in the Archive: A Love Letter to the Photographic Object” at 6 p.m. Thursday, September 21 in Kleymeyer Hall in the Liberal Arts Center. A public reception for the exhibit will follow the presentation in the McCutchan Art Center/Pace Galleries. Read More

Exhibit open through Friday, October 27

New Harmony Gallery exhibition to present four depictions of hinterlands

The New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art opens its newest exhibition, Hinterlands, with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, September 16. The exhibition is free and open to the public from September 16 through October 27. This exhibition is possible through the generous support of the Efroymson Family Fund, the Indiana Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. Read More

10:30 a.m. Monday, October 30

Indiana Supreme Court to hear oral arguments at USI

The Supreme Court will travel to Carter Hall at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, to hear oral arguments in the case of B.A v. State of Indiana at 10:30 a.m. Monday, October 30. Press interested in attending must contact Sarah Kidwell at sarah.kidwell@courts.in.gov by 12 p.m. Monday, October 23. The argument will be webcast live by the University of Southern Indiana and uploaded to the Court’s website in coming weeks.  Read More

10:30 a.m. Monday, October 30

Dr. Bill Thomas’ ChangingAging Tour to visit USI

The University of Southern Indiana will host Dr. Bill Thomas’ ChangingAging Tour on Monday, November 6 at the USI Performance Center. The event will include two performances: Disrupt Dementia from 2:30 to 4 p.m., and Life’s Most Dangerous Game from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The performances are made possible by AARP Indiana, USI and the USI Foundation. Tickets can be purchased at https://changingaging.org/event/evansville-in/. Read More

Registration open now; March to be held Saturday, November 4

Registration now open for 16th annual Norwegian Foot March

The 16th annual Norwegian Foot March will take participants 18.6 miles through the rolling hills of Evansville’s west side. Carrying a 25-pound rucksack, participants will begin and end at the University of Southern Indiana, working to make it back to the finish line in under four and a half hours. It’s an experience unlike any other, happening Saturday, November 4, 2017. Registration is currently open for the 16th annual Norwegian Foot March. ROTC cadets, Soldiers and veterans, as well as civilians, may register individually or as part of a four-member team. Registration can be completed online or by calling USI Outreach and Engagement at 812-464-1989. Read More

Appointments accepted now for Monday, November 6 and Wednesday, November 8

USI Dental Hygiene Clinic to repeat free dental cleanings for veterans

The University of Southern Indiana Dental Hygiene Clinic will provide free dental cleaning, fluoride and X-rays for military veterans on November 6 and 8, 2017. In an attempt to serve more veterans, the USI Dental Hygiene Program will schedule appointments during both day and evening hours again this year. Read More