Shaker scholar to discuss expansion of communal group into Tri-state

Dr. Carol Medlicott, associate professor of geography at Northern Kentucky University, will present "Branches of One Living Tree: Advancing Shakerism Across the American Frontier" as part of the University of Southern Indiana's Center for Communal Studies Lecture Series. The lecture will take place from 11 a.m. to noon, Monday, November 11, in Kleymeyer Hall, located in the lower level of the Liberal Arts Center.

The Shakers are a communal group with origins in 18th century England and Northeastern America. Beginning in the early 19th century, "Shakerism" expanded to the American frontier of Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. Medlicott's presentation will discuss the founding of Shaker settlements in these frontier areas. Medlicott, whose principal interests are the Shaker West, the expansion period of Shakerism, and the evolution of Shaker music, is the author of Issachar Bates: A Shaker's Journey and co-author of Richard McNemar, Music, and the Western Shaker Communities. She is active in several Shaker heritage organizations, and also transcribes, sings, and performs Shaker music.

USI's Center for Communal Studies promotes the study of historic and contemporary communal groups, intentional communities, and utopias. Established in 1976, the center encourages and facilitates meetings, classes, scholarships, publications, networking, and public interest in communal groups past and present, here and abroad.

For more information, contact Dr. Casey Harison, professor of history and director of the Center for Communal Studies, at charison@usi.edu or 812/465-7150.