Presented by
the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, and Continuing and Professional Education

Featuring
James I. Robertson, Jr.
Alumni Distinguished Professor of History, Executive Director of the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies

William C. Davis
Director of Programs for the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies

The Civil War was the defining event in American history. It was the climax to everything that had gone before in the country’s development, just as it marked the beginning of all that would become the United States as we know it. Because of these and many other factors, the 1861-1865 conflict remains the most vital and popularly re-lived period in the American past.

Virginia Tech continues to be an increasingly influential part of that popularity. The university produces a five-minute weekly Civil War program for WVTF and eight other public radio stations. WBRA Television in Roanoke turns out an annual, hour-long Civil War documentary that is aired by stations as far away as South Africa. Each summer for the past 28 years, Virginia Tech has sponsored a seven-day “Campaigning With Lee” seminar. Guest lecturers, all-day bus tours, and unique fellowships have made this the most popular of such summer programs. The Annual Civil War Weekend, another of Tech’s extremely popular Civil War programs, traditionally fills quickly. Register now to reserve your space.

Coordinating all of these programs is James I. Robertson, Jr., an Alumni Distinguished Professor at Tech and among the most popular speakers on Civil War history in the nation. Assisting him is William C. Davis, a prolific writer on the war period and a sought-after lecturer in his own right. Davis is Director of Programs for the university’s Virginia Center for Civil War Studies. Having two highly recognized Civil War historians on the same faculty gives Virginia Tech a unique distinction.

The close connection of the land-grant university with Civil War history is reflected in this year’s program. Four of the five speakers are associated with Virginia Tech. A respected member of the Roanoke Civil War Round Table rounds out a varied and hopefully informative symposium.

The 17th Annual Civil War Weekend will be held March 7 - 9, 2008, at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center in Blacksburg. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.