Monroe County Historical Association

Thursday, May 21
Rick Smith

“The Sinking of the Lusitania”

Local historian Rick Smith presents “The Sinking of the Lusitania” as part of the Monroe County Historical Association’s Third Thursday Lecture Series.

On May 7, 1915, a German submarine torpedoed and sank the RMS Lusitania, a British ocean liner traveling from New York to England. More than 1,100 crew members and passengers perished, including 120 Americans. The sinking of the Lusitania played a significant role in turning public opinion against Germany, and the incident helped provoke U.S. involvement in World War I.

Rick Smith is a Monroe County native who lives in Jackson Township with his wife, Kelley. He retired from Sanofi Pasteur in Swiftwater after 44 years. He also served on the Pocono Mountain School Board for 23 years.

 May 21, 2020 Lecture: The Sinking of the Lusitania

Thursday, June 18, 2020
Dr. Brian Alnutt

“The Era of Prohibition”

Professor of history Dr. Brian Alnutt presents “The Era of Prohibition” as part of the Monroe County Historical Association's Third Thursday Lecture Series.

The Prohibition Era, extending from 1920 into 1933, represents one of the most idealistic and yet most turbulent passages in our national history.

Dr. Alnutt presents Prohibition within its full context, including the persistent development of the "temperance" movement from the early 19th century onward and the reasons behind the passage of the 18th Amendment. Details of Prohibition law, its effects on American society, the varied and sometimes violent resistance to Prohibition, and the impetus behind its repeal are discussed.

Born in Philadelphia and raised in South Jersey, Dr. Alnutt is a professor of history at Northampton Community College, where he has served at both the Bethlehem and Monroe campuses since 2009. He has particular historical interests in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; American race and ethnic relations; and foreign policy. He lives with his family in rural New Tripoli, Pa.

 June 18, 2020 Lecture: The Era of Prohibition

Thursday, July 16, 2020
John C. Layton

“Monroe County Through the Camera Lens of Wallace Nutting”

Wallace Nutting (1861-1941) was a noted author, artist and photographer, most known for his works depicting New England scenes. In 1924, he published “Pennsylvania Beautiful,” sharing landscape photographs from the region.

Mr. Layton’s program will feature Nutting’s published images of the Poconos, focusing on Monroe County. Audience participation is encouraged!

Working to identify the sites of the landscape images, Mr. Layton hopes audience members will help pinpoint the locations of the original photographs taken by Nutting.

An enthusiast for local history, Mr. Layton has served as a member of the Monroe County Historical Association Board of Directors, as currently serves as vice president of the Paradise Historical Society.

 Wallace Nutting

Thursday, August 20, 2020
Dr. Joshua Loomis

“Epidemics: Lessons from the Past and a Look to the Future”

East Stroudsburg University Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Joshua Loomis presents a very timely discussion of epidemics — What we've learned from historical events, and what we can expect to learn from the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Loomis, a microbiologist who studies the history of epidemic diseases, is the author of “Epidemics: The Impact of Germs and Their Power Over Humanity,” published in 2018. The book is a comprehensive review of the 10 most influential epidemics in history, telling the often forgotten stories of what made these epidemics so calamitous.

He discussed epidemic disease as a major driving force in shaping our world, demonstrating how they have had an important role in deciding wars, toppling empires, sparking major leaps in technology, and even changing the human genome.

He shared insights such as how a yellow fever epidemic helped double the size of the United States and why tuberculosis was once considered a disease of the intellectual elite.

Dr. Loomis teaches microbiology, genetics and virology, and his research interests are in microbial biofilms, soil microbiology and antibiotic discovery.

Thursday, September 17 • Live online at 7 pm
Jeffrey L. Wright

“The Life of A. Mitchell Palmer”

A. Mitchell Palmer, 1872-1936, led a life of both public acclaim and public scorn. He served as U.S. attorney general from 1919 to 1921 under President Woodrow Wilson and is best known for overseeing the anticommunist "Palmer Raids" during the Red Scare during that time.

Palmer established a legal practice in Stroudsburg after graduating from college, and won election to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1909 to 1915.

Jeffrey Wright is an attorney at Cramer, Swetz, McManus & Jordan, P.C., in Stroudsburg. A member of the Monroe County and Pennsylvania Bar Associations, his practice areas are in estate planning, probate, wills, trusts and estates, and elder law.

He is a graduate of Duquesne University School of Law.

 Explore PA History: A. Mitchell Palmer

Thursday, October 15 • Live online at 7 pm
Julia Burns

“Charles Willson Peale: Renaissance Man”

Charles Willson Peale, 1741-1827 — painter, soldier, scientists, inventor, politician and naturalist — was one of the most influential figures in American art, and was the head of a large artistic family who helped shape the image of the nation.

Julia Burns, administrative assistant at the Monroe County Historical Association, received her undergraduate degree in fine arts with a concentration in art history at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.

 Britannica — Charles Willson Peale