Oct. 12 Evenings at Whitney: Adventures in History

Oct. 12 Evenings at Whitney: Adventures in History

Published: Wednesday, September 20, 2017

The Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series hosted by the University of Florida Whitney Laboratory returned on Oct. 12, 2017, at 7 p.m. with the program titled “Adventures in History.” David Nolan, American author and regional historian, has been researching St. Augustine’s history for the past 40 years, and he shared his experiences and findings about America’s oldest city. This free lecture was presented at Lohman Auditorium located at 9505 Ocean Shore Blvd., on the Whitney Laboratory campus.

St. Augustine, established in 1565, has a lengthy history. Nolan talked about many aspects of the city’s 452-year history, including St. Augustine’s historic buildings, famous authors, Civil War generals and civil rights heroes. Nolan shared about how St. Augustine’s buildings and architecture depict the city’s different times throughout its history. He talked about author Zora Neale Hurston and the time she spent in St. Augustine. He also highlighted those who played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement in St. Augustine and the impact it had on the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

Nolan has lived in St. Augustine since 1977, and during that time, he has been dedicated to preserving the city’s past with a focus on St. Augustine’s Civil Rights Movement and African-American history. He is one of the founders of ACCORD, Anniversary to Commemorate the Civil Rights Demonstrations, which was established in 2003 to honor the 40th anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement of St. Augustine. Nolan is also the author of “Fifty Feet in Paradise: The Booming of Florida” and “The Houses of St. Augustine.” His commitment to the community has been recognized with a Governor’s Points of Light Award presented in 2009 by then-Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and President’s Volunteer Service Award presented in 2009 by then-President Barack Obama.