October 09, 2008

Friends of Morris Library Dinner is Oct. 25

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Jason Emerson will be the speaker at this year’s annual Friends of Morris Library Dinner at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The Oct. 25 event will begin with a reception at Morris Library at 6 p.m. to showcase the nearly completed $56.5 million renovation and expansion. It will then move on to the Student Center for dinner and the rest of the festivities.

Emerson wrote the popular book “The Madness of Mary Lincoln,” dubbed by “The American Spectator” magazine as a “classic of American history.”

The Friends of Morris Library will also present the organization’s annual Delta Awards in recognition of writing, editing or publishing about Southern Illinois with distinction. Taylor Pensoneau and James Ballowe are the 2008 award recipients.

Pensoneau, a former St. Louis Post-Dispatch political correspondent, has written several works highlighting elements of Illinois history including “Brothers Notorious: The Sheltons,” “Southern Illinois’ Notorious Gangsters,” and a 1997 biography of former Gov. Richard Ogilvie. Herrin native Ballowe penned “The Coal Miners.” He also wrote “The Herrin Massacre” and in 1997 narrated that radio program produced by the Chicago affiliate of National Public Radio.

For nearly a half century, the Friends of Morris Library have supported the library in a variety of ways, including hosting events, contributing to endowments, purchasing materials such as books, computers and software and underwriting various other activities. Work on the library expansion and renovation project, the largest capital project at SIUC, is reaching the finishing stages for the first five floors at Morris Library.

Chartwells will cater the dinner. The cost is $65 per person or $120 per couple. To make arrangements to attend, contact Kristine McGuire at kmcguire@lib.siu.edu or by calling 618/453-1633.