LECTURE SERIES
The Waco History Project, in partnership with the Dr Pepper Museum, will be presenting a series of four lectures commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Waco Tornado. Held in the Hillcrest Confrence Room in the Kellum-Rotan building at the Dr Pepper Museum, the lectures take place on Sunday, May 5th, Sunday, May 19th, Sunday, June 2nd, and Sunday, June 23rd. All begin at 2 p.m. and are free to the public.
May 5th: Tornadoes and Tornado Safety
Tornadoes are nature's most violent storms. They are spawned from powerful thunderstorms and can cause fatalities and devastate neighborhoods in seconds. Meteorologist Patrick Crawford from KCEN HD will speak on what causes tornadoes and what safety measures can be taken to protect you and your family.
May 19th: Waco's Tornado Photographers
Geoff Hunt, Audio and Visual Curator for the Texas Collection at Baylor University, will highlight some of the people who documented the aftermath of the Waco Tornado through their photography and will show a sampling of their work. Some of these images may never have been seen by the general public before.
June 2nd: The Waco Tornado in Postcards and Pictures
Many of the scenes of devastation from the Waco Tornado were turned into postcards and made available to the public. Some were made into photo booklets and sold. Others simply became familiar photographs. Local historians Wilton Lanning and David Lintz will present some of these postcards and photographs and will discuss the production and availability of them after the May 11, 1953 tragedy.
June 23: After the Tornado: Disaster Relief
Milly Walker, historian at the First Presbyterian Church of Waco, will lead us through some of the massive relocation efforts that took place at the church in the aftermath of the tornado. Using a first-hand account of the storm, photographs, and materials from the church archives, she paints a chilling picture of the storm and the efforts of the church members, local social workers, and the American Red Cross to hel those who lost their homes and businesses in the tornado.