Noted historian to speak about ‘common folk,’ war

A man who is a member of various historical societies and groups focusing on the Civil War is to give the first Good Morning World breakfast lecture of the school year next week.

Richard McMurry, a Civil War historian and author, is to deliver the "The Common Folk of the Civil War" during Tiffin University's Good Morning World Oct. 21 at Camden Falls.

McMurry is a native of Atlanta and a graduate of Virginia Military Institute, according to information from TU. He received a doctorate from Emory University, which is one of the top places to study the Civil War as a historian, said Michael Grandillo, TU's vice president for development and public affairs.

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McMurry

McMurry's lecture is to show how an average person viewed the Civil War and its complications.

Grandillo said it took TU a year and a half to schedule McMurry for Good Morning World because he is popular. McMurry will be doing a variety of events in northwest Ohio, and TU wanted to show its support for the Civil War museum in downtown Tiffin, he said.

Grandillo said he learned about McMurry through the Johnson's Island Civil War Roundtable and through Rex Felton, a local certified public accountant who serves as the group's vice president and program chairman.

"Rex coordinated the communication with the speaker because he knew him on a personal level," he said.

McMurry has written articles and books, including "Two Great Rebel Armies: An Essay in Confederate Military History" and "John Bell Hood and the War for Southern Independence."

The next Good Morning World breakfast lecture is to be Nov. 18. Troy Vincent, vice president for active player development for the National Football League, is to deliver "Player Development and Community Engagement in the NFL."

Vincent, who played for the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins, is pursuing a master's degree at TU.