In addition to a guest speaker and awards presentations, those attending the annual Lawrence County Historical Society’s fall banquet Saturday, Oct. 18, will enjoy musical entertainment by Jay Shepherd of Paragould.
Shepherd is a guitarist, composer, British brass band trainer/artistic director, and jazz educator. He won the U.S. Open Brass Band Championship as artistic director and composer for the Arkansas Musicworks Brass Band in 2018.
Equally at home playing rock and roll, jazz, and classical guitar, Shepherd has won guitar competitions on all three instruments. He has worked as a director of music ministry, band/orchestra director, and as a freelance musician throughout his career. Currently he assists with the Marion High School Patriot Band and is a doctoral student in classical guitar at the University of Memphis.
Awards to be Presented
The Historical Society will recognize two individuals and an institution during the awards portion of the banquet, which starts at 6 p.m. in the Moody Room on the campus of Williams Baptist University.
“This year’s program will be especially memorable as we introduce an awards portion to the banquet, honoring those who have made significant contributions to preserving and celebrating our county’s heritage,” said Jon Walter, president of the Historical Society.
After review of nominations, a Historical Society committee has made three selections:
— James Whitlow of Hoxie will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award (living).
— The late Evelyn Flippo of Powhatan will be recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award (posthumous).
— The Startup Chapel and Williams Baptist University will receive the society’s first Preservation Award. The historic chapel was recently restored.
Featured Speaker
The featured speaker is Dr. Brooks Blevins, professor of history at Missouri State University. He will discuss the society’s sponsored research project, “Erasing Boundaries,” which documents the earliest history of Lawrence County. A native of Izard County, Blevins is the author or editor of more than a dozen books, including the trilogy “A History of the Ozarks.”
Banquet Tickets
Tickets to the event, which includes a buffet meal, are $20 each, and may be obtained by contacting one of the Historical Society officers or board members: Colton Babbitt, Mike Doyle, Zachary Elledge, Nancy Matthews, Darlene Moore, Leslie Reed, Vesta Smith, Randy Story, Ethel Tompkins, Jon Walter, Lesa Walter or Sue Whitmire. One may also use CashApp to $lchsar1815. The deadline is Saturday, Oct. 11.
Attached photo: Jay Shepherd