2025-06-26 –, Medallion A
Throughout its history, Louisville’s collectors, musicians and enslaved laborers have shaped the city’s economy, culture and natural environment. These papers by graduate and undergraduate students in the University of Louisville’s History Department will highlight the pivotal but often overlooked contributions Black labor (enslaved and free) has made to Kentucky’s famous bourbon industry; how the work of a nineteenth-century ornithologist continues to inform bird conservation efforts today; the impact of a local radio station, its DJs, and the Rhythm and Blues musicians they inspired in the 1960s and 1970s; and the intriguing and sometimes controversial cover art in a Louisville business owner’s massive collection of paperback books from the 1930s-1970s. Together, the panel will give insight into the unique contributions individuals have made to Louisville, and their continuing legacies in the city and beyond.
The Impact of WLOU Radio on the Rhythm and Blues Bands of the City of Louisville, 1960-1975
Abstract for Additional Participant 1:The study of the impact of WLOU Radio on the Rhythm and Blues in the city of Louisville, during the period of 1960 thru 1975 will chronicle the history of the station and how its introduction of these genres of music affected and inspired the local musicians. The research will highlight several night clubs, those that were prominent, and several that were considered “steppingstone” clubs that provided opportunities for the younger and up and coming bands to develop their craft, as well as the Talent Shows and Recreational Centers that served as music and dance venues. Additionally, several of the bands will be listed in the study. The zenith of WLOU was reflected in the music that was performed by these groups and the personality of the DJs will be examined.
Title for Additional Participant 2:Charles Wickliffe Beckham and the Legacy of Ornithology in Kentucky
Abstract for Additional Participant 2:This paper will explore the life and work of Charles Wickliffe Beckham, Kentucky's first ornithologist, and his enduring impact on bird conservation in the region. The talk will showcase Beckham’s impressive collection of over a thousand bird specimens, collected in the 1880s, and housed at the University of Louisville. By combining Beckham’s work with insights from contemporary bird enthusiasts in Louisville, the paper will examine how his legacy continues to shape efforts to protect Kentucky’s bird populations today.
Title for Additional Participant 3:Book by its Cover
Abstract for Additional Participant 3:This paper is an analysis of the paperbacks within the Donald Guss Paperback Collection of the University of Louisville Ekstrom Library. Donald Guss was the owner of Guss's Sample Shoes in Louisville and was an avid collector of mass market paperbacks. These mass market paperbacks were popular during the late 1930s- early 1970s and were known for their interesting/controversial cover illustrations. Using Guss's collection, we are able to show the development of the cover illustrations as well as attempt to understand those who collected and purchased the books.
Dr. Rebecca A. Devlin is an Associate Professor of History (Term) at the University of Louisville. Her manuscript, Bishops, Community and Authority in Late Roman Society: Northwestern Hispania, ca. 370-470 C.E (Amsterdam University Press , 2024), employs an interdisciplinary approach, using archaeological and written sources to put the clergy of the Iberian Peninsula in their economic, social and political contexts. Her current projects explore the role of merchants, the non-elite, enslaved peoples, freed-persons and the Church in economic and social developments in both the ancient world and nineteenth-century Kentucky.
- F3: Workshop - Using Digital Tools and Assignments to Enhance Student Learning and Engagement in Ancient and Medieval World Courses at the University of Louisville
- J1: Panel - Colonialism, Commerce and Culture: Economic Conflicts and the Contributions of Enslaved Laborers in the Iberian Atlantic World, 15th-19th Centuries
- D1: Roundtable - Documenting and Sharing Local Black History: Community-Engaged Public History Projects at the University of Louisville
- E1: Panel - Battles and Bones: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Understand and Preserve Contested Spaces in the Ancient and Medieval World