Winter Meeting – December 14

Location: Auditorium, Downtown Huntsville Library (915 Monroe Street)
Time: 2:00-3:30 p.m.

For the Winter Meeting on December 14, we’re looking at the past and future of farming and agriculture in Alabama.

Meet the Presenters

Dr. Dana M. Caldemeyer, Alabama A&M University

Dr. Dana M. Caldemeyer

Dana M. Caldemeyer is Assistant Professor of History at Alabama A&M University. Her research interests include rural industrialization, labor, and capitalism in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. She is the author of Union Renegades: Miners, Capitalism, and Organizing in the Gilded Age.

Jay Borden, Alabama Education Administrator for Agriculture Education and Alabama FFA Advisor

Jay Borden

Jay Borden serves as Alabama’s Education Administrator for Agricultural Education and Alabama FFA Advisor, overseeing statewide programs that support agricultural learning, student leadership, and career readiness. Originally from northwest Illinois, he first became involved in agriculture through school-based learning experiences that included raising livestock and participating in agricultural skill competitions and music performance.

Jay earned a Bachelor of Science, Master of Education, and Education Specialist degree in Agricultural Education from Auburn University, along with a minor in Animal Science (Pre-Veterinary Medicine) and a certification in Elementary Agricultural Education from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

With more than 20 years of experience teaching agriculture in Alabama and Georgia, Jay has taught subjects ranging from agricultural construction and business to veterinary science and floral design in both rural and urban communities. He has coached students in numerous agriculture-related competitions, supported statewide student leaders, and has been recognized for his service to students, schools, and the agricultural education profession.

Panel Host, Heather M. Adkins

Meet the Panel Host

Heather M. Adkins

Curator-Archivist,
Alabama State Black Archives, Research Center, and Museum

Heather Adkins is a Certified Archivist and has an M.A. in Public History with a concentration in archives management from Middle Tennessee State University. She has worked in the archives field for 15 years in various academic, non-profit, and government institutions, including the Tennessee State Library & Archives. She moved to Alabama in 2018 to become the Manager of Special Collections for the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library system. She is now the Curator-Archivist of the Alabama State Black Archives, Research Center, and Museum.

Author Event

When: Friday, October 24, 11:00 a.m.
Where: Downtown Huntsville Public Library, 915 Monroe Street

“During the Civil War spies were active as agents in north Alabama and generally unrecognized – after all that was their intent…”

Local historian and author Nancy Rohr’s long-awaited fifth book examines the lives of 5 Madison County federal spies, local guerillas, and other loyalists during the Civil War. The author will talk about her new book and have copies available for purchase and signing. The event will be hosted in the auditorium of the Downtown Huntsville Library.

Copies of the book can be purchased for $30 at the event (cash or card). Or, you can purchase the book ahead of time locally at Harrison Brothers Hardware or online.

This event is in partnership with the Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society and HMCPL’s Special Collections Department. Questions can be sent to hmchistoricalsociety@gmail.com or specialcollections@hmcpl.org.

Follow the event on Facebook or online.

2025 Ranee’ Pruitt Award

Every year, the Board recognizes individuals in the community that go above and beyond spreading the love of history. In 2025, we chose a historian that has proven many times over that they are dedicated to the proliferation of Huntsville history. Join us at the Fall meeting to present the award to: Stephanie Timberlake

Stephanie Timberlake

Pictured leading a tour at Burritt on the Mountain

Nominated by Daniel Rhodes

 As a life-long resident of Huntsville, I have strong ties to our community.  I graduated from Huntsville High School and went to Presbyterian College in South Carolina where I studied Art and History. I received a graduate degree in Historic Preservation from Savannah College of Design (with a focus on architecture).

I returned to Huntsville and became involved with several organizations, including Historic Huntsville Foundation and began working at Burritt on the Mountain. I started in 1999 in the Curatorial Department as Registrar and today serve as Chief Operations Officer and Curator. I oversee all work that is contract on our 11 historic homes and structures on site as well as the other 11 non-historic buildings and structures that are part of Burritt’s grounds. I joined the Huntsville Pilgrimage Association Board in 2017 and have enjoyed working on the annual Cemetery Stoll.

My work at Burritt is where I truly developed my love for Huntsville’s past and all things Huntsville. I have created some wonderful exhibits about Huntsville including the Monte Sano Hotel, The Huntsville Arsenals and the German teams that came to Huntsville, and Huntsville’s own history. Each of these has fueled a fire in me to learn all I can about our city’s history and preserve it for the future historians and preservationist.

The Ranee Pruitt award recognizes individuals who have significantly enriched the community’s understanding of its local history through research, documentation, or public education. Nominees often include amateur historians, archivists, or long-time residents whose dedicated efforts have brought forgotten stories to light or meticulously preserved historical records. This accolade celebrates the vital role these individuals play in connecting present and future generations to the unique heritage of their town or region.

Fall Meeting – September 14

Location: Auditorium, Downtown Huntsville Library (915 Monroe Street)
Time: 2:00-3:30 p.m.

For the Fall Meeting on September 14, we’ll look at different components of the Allied Victory and the end of World War II. 2025 is the 80th anniversary.

Meet the Presenters

“The Tuskegee Airmen Compared with Other P-51 Groups in the Fifteenth Air Force,” by Dr. Daniel Haulman

Dr. Daniel Haulman

Dr. Daniel L. Haulman was born in New Orleans and educated in public schools there.  He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in social studies education from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1971, and subsequently taught high school social studies in south Louisiana for five years.  He received his Master of Education degree from the University of New Orleans in 1975, and his PhD in history from Auburn University in Alabama in 1983.  He worked at the Air Force Historical Research Agency at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, for 37 years, retiring in 2019 as head of the organization’s organizational histories section.  He is the author of nine aviation history books published by the United States Air Force or by NewSouth Books (now part of the University of Georgia Press).  He has also authored more than forty published periodical articles, five encyclopedia articles, and fifteen articles published electronically.  He has been historical advisor for four Tuskegee Airmen films, including two by George Lucas.  He is a member of the Society for Military History, the Alabama Historical Association, the Air Force Association, the Air Force Historical Foundation, the Tuskegee Airmen Incorporated, and the Sons of the American Revolution.  Dr. Haulman has presented papers at more than forty historical conferences.  In 2021, he was selected by the Air Force Historical Foundation to receive its prestigious Dr. I. B. Holley award, for a lifetime of achievement in the documentation of Air Force history.  He is a husband, a father, and now a grandfather, and sings in the choir at First United Methodist Church of Montgomery, Alabama.

“The Burma Campaign: World War II from an Asian Perspective,” by Dr. Matthew Bowser

Dr. Matthew Bowser

Dr. Matthew Bowser is an Assistant Professor of Asian History at Alabama A&M University. He is the author of Containing decolonisation: British imperialism and the politics of race in late colonial Burma with Manchester University Press, published on September 2nd 2025. His research focuses on decolonization in Southeast Asia, and he has also published on this subject in several academic journals, including the Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History and the Journal of Asian Studies. Dr. Bowser is also a proud member of the Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society.

Women Air Service Pilots, by Polly Padden

Polly Padden

Polly Padden, Colonel, USAF (ret), is a PhD candidate in history at Mississippi State University and an adjunct professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Polly piloted C-141 and C-130 aircraft throughout her 25-year USAF career. She was the first combat-qualified female in the C-141 and the first female to command a C-130 squadron in a war zone. She was awarded the Bronze Star while assigned to Joint Special Operations Command, Bagram, Afghanistan.  Polly is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy and the US Army War College. She was the lead intern for the Vicksburg Project at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and has presented her research at several conferences both in the US and abroad. She and her family moved to the Huntsville area in 2010, where Polly owns and operates Bronze Star Farm.

Wartime Comics, Barry C. Rich

Barry C. Rich

Barry Rich is a professor of English and Theatre at the University of Tennessee Southern in Pulaski, TN. He enjoys the intersection of academia and all things nerdy. The examination of comics, popular culture, and various theoretical lenses are some of his favorite focuses.

“Highlights from Locals Involved in the Normandy Invasion,” Joy Caitlin Monroe

Joy Caitlin Monroe

Cait Monroe holds a master’s degree in public history with a concentration in preservation. She is the Archivist for the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library system and a member of the Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society board.

Cait serves the Alabama Society DAR as State Historic Preservation Chair and the Hunt’s Spring Chapter, NSDAR, as First Vice Regent. She chairs 5 chapter committees including Commemorative Events, which coordinates observances of significant historic events.

Panel Host, Dr. SueAnne Griffith

Photo credit: White Rabbit Studios

Meet the Panel Host

Dr. SueAnne Griffith

Principal Research Engineer,
UAH Center for Cybersecurity Research and Education

Creator, Researcher, & Host,
Lily Flagg’s Signal Podcast

Summer Meeting – June 8

Resorts, Roadsides, and Racetracks:
How Hotels, Inns, and Lodges Redefined Huntsville

Location: Auditorium, Downtown Huntsville Library (915 Monroe Street)
Time: 2:00-3:30 p.m.

For the Summer Meeting on June 8, our panel of guests will discuss several histories of hotels in the area that helped Huntsville develop, including: Green Bottom Inn, Monte Sano Hotel, the Russell Erskine, and more!

Movie & Meetup

HMCHS is partnering with the North Alabama Area Labor Council for a Norma Rae watch party! Join us starting at 1:00 to meet some new people and enjoy an Alabama Labor History presentation.

When: Sunday, March 23 at 1:00 pm
Location: Innerspace Brewing (2414 Clinton Ave, Huntsville)

This event is free and open to the public. Please patron Innerspace.

Norma Rae (1979)
Starring: Sally Field, Beau Bridges, and Ron Leibman

A young single mother and textile worker agrees to help unionize her mill despite the problems and dangers involved.

Spring Meeting – March 9

Historic Preservation, Tourism, and Technology: Redefining Ways to Interact with History

Location: Auditorium, Downtown Huntsville Library (915 Monroe Street)
Time: 2:00-3:30 p.m.

For the Spring Meeting on March 9, our panel of guests will discuss how historic preservation has changed and adapted in recent years, interacting with tourism and technology in new ways.

Featuring:

Anita Flanagan,

Vice President & National Board Member

The Trail of Tears Association (TOTA) is a non-profit, membership organization formed to support the creation, development, and interpretation of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. In 1987, Congress designated a national historic trail commemorate the forced removal of the Cherokee people from their homelands in the southeastern United States to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) in 1838-1839.

The Alabama Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association is one of nine state chapters which have been chartered to assist the Trail of Tears Association with its many tasks. Activities of the Alabama Chapter include documenting sites relating to the Cherokee people and the Trail of Tears.

MSNHA conserves, interprets, promotes and develops access to the historic, cultural, natural and recreational resources of the six northwest Alabaman counties of the Tennessee River Basin – Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone & Morgan. Through programs fostering public-private partnerships, MSNHA stimulates community revitalization, improves quality of life, promotes tourism, catalyzes economic development, and cultivates the stewardship of our landscape.

TJ Johnson, Director

Clayton A. Davis,
Historic Resources Manager
Donna Castellano,

Executive Director

The Historic Huntsville Foundation helps preserve the architectural and historic resources of Huntsville and Madison County and promotes the revitalization of our historic downtowns. We promote the preservation of Huntsville-Madison County’s historic buildings, sites, homes, and neighborhoods through education, advocacy, and public engagement. Since 1984, we’ve proudly owned and operated Harrison Brothers Hardware as part of our preservation mission. Harrison Brothers is also home to the Historic Huntsville Museum, listed by the National Park Service to the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network. The Museum highlights multiple aspects of Huntsville history, with special emphasis on the stories of freed men and women.

The Historic Preservation Office and Historic Preservation Commission ensure the preservation of the city’s historic districts. The City of Huntsville has four locally designated historic districts – Twickenham, Old Town, Five Points, and Alabama A&M University. Historic district designation means that these neighborhoods have been recognized by the National Park Service, the State of Alabama, and the City of Huntsville as being architecturally and/or historically significant to the community. These historic resources make an important contribution to the city’s character, economy, and quality of life.

Katie Stamps,

Historic Preservation Planner for the City of Huntsville

Meet the Panel Host

Dr. SueAnne Griffith

Creator, Researcher, & Host,
Lily Flagg’s Signal Podcast

Photo credit: White Rabbit Studios