Author and historian Dr. Hardy Jackson will deliver the McPherson-Mitchell Lecture in Southern History on Jan. 23 inside Claudia Crosby Theater at Troy University’s Troy Campus.
Jackson’s lecture shares the title of his book, “The Rise and Decline of the Redneck Riviera,” and will focus on the evolution of the Florida Panhandle Gulf Coast from sleepy villages and small developments in the 1920s to today’s condominium-lined beaches.
The lecture takes place from 5 to 6 p.m.
The McPherson-Mitchell Lecture in Southern History has been held annually since 2000, when it was named for its founders, TROY history professors Norma Mitchell and Milton McPherson.
Jackson has taught at colleges and universities in Florida, Georgia and Alabama, most recently holding the post of Eminent Scholar in History at Jacksonville State University. He is the author, co-author or co-editor of 11 books on various aspects of southern history.
Jackson’s newspaper columns and editorials have won awards from the Alabama Press Association. His book, “Inside Alabama: A Personal History of My State,” won the Alabama Historical Association’s C.J. Coley Award for the best book on Alabama history.
