The National Endowment for the Humanities Landmarks of American History Workshop "Not Just A Scenic Road: The Blue Ridge Parkway and Its History" was hosted by Appalachian State University this past July.  Project Director Dr. Neva J. Specht organized and conducted both week-long sessions of the workshop, which had a total of 72 participants from across the nation.  Dr. Specht was assisted by Project Coordinator Dr. David Johnson, Graduate Assistants Chris Eklund and Leslie White, and Master Teachers Ms. Becky Griffith, Mr. Marc Gable, and Ms. Lisa Baldwin.

Session 1 participants are shown top right and Session 2 participants are shown at left photographed in front of Appalachian State University's Carol Grotnes Belk Library and Information Commons.  Both week-long sessions began with a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, which many participants saw for the first time.  The following days of the workshop were filled with lectures, discussions, small group work with primary documents, and field trips to the Blue Ridge Parkway's many historic sites.  The following Blue Ridge Parkway and Appalachia scholars offered workshop participants some of their expertise through daily lectures and discussions. 

Many thanks go out to them for their contributions.

Dr. Anne Mitchell Whisnant, author of Super-Scenic Motorway: A Blue Ridge Parkway History.

Dr. Timothy Silver, Professor of History at Appalachian State University and award winning author who teaches classes about environemental history and National Parks.

Mr. Phil Noblitt, author of A Mansion in the Mountains: The Story of Moses and Bertha Cone and their Blowing Rock Manor.

Ms. Elizabeth Hunter writer for Blue Ridge Country Magazine.

Dr. Bruce Stewart, Assistant Professor of History at Appalachian State University who specializes in the social history of Appalachia.

Dr. Fred Hay, Director and Curator of the Appalachian Collection at Appalachian State University.

Dr. Eric Frauman, Assistant Professor in the Recreation Management Program at Appalachian State University.

Dr. Wayne Williams, Professor and Director of the Recreation Management Program at Appalachian State University.

Dr. Patricia Beaver, director of the Center for Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University.

Dr. Lynne Getz, Associate Professor of History at Appalachian State University who has worked on a number of public history projects. 

Dr. John Alexander Williams, Professor of History at Appalachian who has published extensively on the history of Appalachia.

Each workshop concluded with another drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway to allow participants time to reflect on what they had learned and experienced over the week.  Participants returned home and submitted lesson plans they developed for use in their own classrooms incorporating what they had learned about the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Please check back soon to view samples of these lesson plans.