Kearney Public Library and UNK-History Department welcome you to the History Brown Bag lunch series Wednesday, September 14 from noon-1:00 pm. Dr. Nathan Tye will present “Kearney at War and Peace, 1917-1919.”
Far from the trenches, Nebraskans mobilized to support the war effort. Volunteers made bandages, fundraised for frontline ambulances, and served coffee at the train station to draftees bound for France. Yet, World War I also revealed deep fractures over the meaning of citizenship, patriotism, and service across the state and in communities like Kearney. Churches with German language services were vandalized, foreign languages banned, and German-born residents harassed. This talk will illuminate the complex dynamics of World War I within Kearney and how they fit within the wider history of the war in Nebraska.
Dr. Nathan Tye, is the Assistant Professor of Nebraska and American West History, where he has taught since 2019. Born and raised in Kearney, he received his PhD from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on lives of migrant laborers, better known as hobos, and the wider history of the Progressive Era. Dr. Tye is deeply interested in local and community history, particularly those histories that are marginalized, overlooked, or little known. He serves on the boards of several local community museums and cultural organizations. His research is published in Nebraska History and the Annals of Iowa, and he appeared this summer on NBC’s celebrity genealogy program, Who Do You Think You Are?
This program is free and open to the public so bring your lunch and learn! This collaborative program is presented by UNK-History Department, and the Kearney Public Library. Mark your calendars for this ongoing series on October 12.
Original source can be found here.
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