The museum will host the camp, “Recycling History,” March 23-26 for home-schooled students ages 6-12 years of age. The camp will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Located on the Tusculum College campus, the Doak House Museum preserves the 19th century home of the Rev. Samuel Witherspoon Doak, co-founder of the college, and offers educational programs about education and life in the 1800s.

During the camp, students will learn about recycling in the past and the present. The camp will focus on how the Doaks recycled during the 19th century, the value of recycling, the history of protecting the environment and how people of today can reuse items in their own homes. In addition, participants will be engaged in a variety of hands-on activities that will illustrate how to “reduce, reuse and recycle.”

Cost for the camp is $85 per participant and $75 for additional participants from the same home. Cost includes instruction, materials, and snacks. Participants are required to bring a sack lunch and drink, and are advised to wear comfortable shoes and clothing.

Enrollment is first-come first-serve with a deposit. Reservation for the camp is confirmed upon receipt of an application and $30 deposit. For more information or to make reservations, please call 423-636-8554.

The students advanced to the district competition by placing either first or second in their respective categories in the Regional History Day held Friday, Feb. 20, at Tusculum College.

The Tusculum College Department of Museum Studies hosted the Regional History Day event, which received financial support from the Andrew Johnson Heritage Association. The Tusculum Department of Museum Studies is the regional coordinator for National History Day events.

While on campus, the students visited the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library. The event ended with an awards ceremony that featured a first-personal portrayal of Abraham Lincoln by Chris Small.

The winners from the district then go on to the state competition, to be held this year in Nashville.

Projects advancing to the district event are (by category):

Individual exhibit: sixth grade – first place, “Amelia Earhart” by Tyler Saylor (Mosheim Middle School), and second place, ”Henry Ford” by Peyton Bacon (Chuckey-Doak Middle School); seventh grade – first place, “Mrs. Elizabeth R. Wiley” by Candie Pierce (Mosheim), and second place, “Elizabeth Blackwell” by Elizabeth Williams (Chuckey-Doak); and eighth grade – first place, “Right is of No Sex – Truth is of No Color” by Linus Evans (Chuckey-Doak), and second place, “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement” by Shea Littleton (Mosheim.)

Group exhibit: sixth grade – first place, “Gone But Not Forgotten” by Alexus Gibson and Michele Myers (Chuckey-Doak); and second place, “Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express” by Dillon Carter, Aaron Falcone and Noah Wagner (Mosheim); seventh grade – first place, “Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell” by Katie Bishop and Maddy Hensley (Chuckey-Doak), and second place, “Henry Ford” by Tanya Higginbotham and Kayla Pruitt (Mosheim); and eighth grade – first place, “Elizabeth Blackwell” by Megan Butcher and Samantha Griffin (Chuckey-Doak), and second place, “The Man Behind the Mouse” by Matt Hensley, Jordan Murphy and Hannah Riddle (Chuckey-Doak).

Web Page: first place, “Henry Ford” by Deaton Myers (Chuckey-Doak).

Documentary: first place, “Dr. Mary Edwards: Ahead of Her Time” by Meghan Lamb, Leah Harris, and Erica Reynolds (Mosheim), and second place, “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart” by Dustin Cobble (Chuckey-Doak).

Paper: first place, “Father of Independence” by Gioranni Jimenez (Chuckey-Doak), and second place, tie, “Queen Elizabeth I” by Caroline Kinney (Chuckey-Doak), and “Sergeant Alvin C. York” by Owen Puckett (Mosheim).

Performance: first place, “Our Founding Fathers” by Daniel Beddingfield, Austin Fillers, and Parker McCrary (Chuckey-Doak).

The preceding winners will participate in the junior category competitions for grades 6-8. Two Greene County students will be participating in the senior exhibit category for high school students. The two Chuckey-Doak High School students tied for first place in the regional competition with their exhibits – “Pele: Soccer’s Ambassador” by Nadarh Naseri and “Ernie Davis” by Elizabeth Richey.

The Doak House Museum and the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library are administered by the Tusculum College Department of Museum Program and Studies under the direction of George Collins, director of Museum Program and Studies, and Cindy Lucas, associate director of the department and director of the Doak House Museum. The department also offers one of the few undergraduate degree programs in museum studies in the country.

The Doak House Museum, which was the home of the Rev. Samuel Witherspoon Doak, co-founder of the college, hosted more than 10,000 school children from East Tennessee last year for a variety of educational programs related to the 19th century and CHARACTER COUNTS!

The Andrew Johnson Museum, located in the oldest academic building on campus, houses a collection of books, papers and memorabilia of the 17th president of the United States.  The museum also houses the Charles Coffin Collection from the original college library and the College archives containing documents related to the history of Tusculum.  The museums are also two of the 10 structures on the Tusculum campus on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Web site, found at http://doakhouse.tusculum.edu/interactive, provides a virtual look at the museum located on the Tusculum College campus. While the Web site is engaging to those interested in history and education, it was created to be especially fun and informative for students and their teachers.

The Web site features an attractive shot of the Doak House on its front page and information about the house, the home of the Rev. Samuel Witherspoon Doak, who, with his father, founded a school in his home that became the Tusculum College of today. The educational focus of the Web site is underscored by the background graphics for each page, a blackboard surrounded by handsome woodwork with chalk and an inkwell and quill pen in the corners.

From the front page, visitors can click headings to learn more about the house itself, the Doak family history, early education and the pastimes of children in the 1800s. Another page features information about agriculture (the Doaks operated a large farm), archaeology and what recent archeological digs at the Doak House site have uncovered.

On the easily navigated topic pages, collages of photos can be clicked to reveal vignettes of interesting facts.

“The Web site interactive idea came from so many requests from students and teachers that were wanting more information about the Doak family,” said Cindy Lucas, director of the Doak House Museum and associate director of the Tusculum College Department of Museum Program and Studies. “Since 21st century students are in tune with technology, what better way to provide information than through an interactive Web site.  They can click and learn at the same time, entertaining yet educational in the same click.”

After coming up with the idea for the Web site, Lucas then wrote a grant seeking funding through a state grant. Last spring, the museum received a $7,500 Community Enhancement Grant from the state of Tennessee.  The Web site project has also received the support of Virginia Gray, and Charlotte Gray, who is a member of the Tusculum Board of Trustees and granddaughter of Charles Oliver Gray, who was president of the college in the early 20th century.

Developed by the Tombras Group, the Web site features photos by Christopher Bradshaw of Photography Done Right.

The Doak House Museum and the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library are administered by the Tusculum College Department of Museum Program and Studies under the direction of George Collins, director of Museum Program and Studies, and Cindy Lucas, associate director of the department and director of the Doak House Museum. The department also offers one of the few undergraduate degree programs in museum studies in the country.

The Doak House Museum, which was the home of the Rev. Samuel Witherspoon Doak, co-founder of the college, hosted more than 10,000 school children from East Tennessee last year for a variety of educational programs related to the 19th century and CHARACTER COUNTS!

The Andrew Johnson Museum, located in the oldest academic building on campus, houses a collection of books, papers and memorabilia of the 17th president of the United States.  The museum also houses the Charles Coffin Collection from the original college library and the College archives containing documents related to the history of Tusculum.  The museums are also two of the 10 structures on the Tusculum campus on the National Register of Historic Places.

The answer to that question could be found Friday among the numerous entries Mosheim Middle School’s National History Day event. Students prepared approximately 100 exhibits for the annual event as well as four documentaries and four papers related to the National History Day theme for this academic year – “Individual in History: Actions and Legacies.”

Students selected their topics for their projects early in the school year and have worked since then to research their subject and prepare their display boards, papers or documentaries. During the judging process, the students had the opportunity to share what they learned during interviews with the judges of the event. Judges included education and museum professionals as well as Tusculum College faculty, staff and students.

The Tusculum College Department of Museum Studies helped coordinate the judging process, and the event received financial support from the Andrew Johnson Heritage Association. The Tusculum Department of Museum Studies is the regional coordinator for National History Day events.
The projects selected as tops in their respective categories will advance to the regional National History Day event at Tusculum College on Friday, Feb. 6, hosted by the Department of Museum Studies.

Projects advancing to the regional event are (by category):
Individual exhibit: sixth grade – “Andrew Johnson: Our 17th President” by Luke Keasling (first place) and “Amelia Earhart” by Tyler Saylor (second place); seventh grade – “Elizabeth R. Wiley” by Candi Pierce (first place) and “Nelson Mandela” by John Lane (second place); and eighth grade – “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement” by Shea Littleton (first place) and “The Legacy of Tony Hawk” by Jordan Watte (second place).
Group exhibit: sixth grade – “Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express” by Dylan Carter, Aaron Falcone, and Noah Wagner (first place) and “Jackie Robinson” by Matthew Bass and Dillon Morelock (second place); seventh grade – “Henry Ford” by Tanya Higginbotham and Kayla Pruitt (first place) and “The Plot of John W. Booth” by Matthew Carroll and Jacob Hensley (second place); and eighth grade – “Queen Elizabeth I” by Elizabeth Miller and Megan Westmorland (first place) and “Anne Frank” by Paige Crawford, Cimra Pounders and Megan Rader (second place).
Documentary: “Dr. Mary Edwards: Ahead of Her Time” by Meghan Lamb, Leah Harris, and Erica Reynolds (first place) and “Jimmie Rodgers” by Jonathan Nicholson (second place).
Paper: “Alvin York” by Owen Puckett (first place) and “Picasso: Defining Modern Art” by Jared Edmondson (second place).

The Doak House Museum and the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library are administered by the Tusculum College Department of Museum Program and Studies under the direction of George Collins, director of Museum Program and Studies, and Cindy Lucas, associate director of the department and director of the Doak House Museum. The department also offers one of the few undergraduate degree programs in museum studies in the country.

The Doak House Museum, which was the home of the Rev. Samuel Witherspoon Doak, co-founder of the college, hosted more than 10,000 school children from East Tennessee last year for a variety of educational programs related to the 19th century and CHARACTER COUNTS!

The Andrew Johnson Museum, located in the oldest academic building on campus, houses a collection of books, papers and memorabilia of the 17th president of the United States.  The museum also houses the Charles Coffin Collection from the original college library and the College archives containing documents related to the history of Tusculum.  The museums are also two of the 10 structures on the Tusculum campus on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Chuckey-Doak students created 435 different projects for the event - exhibits, papers, documentaries, plays and Web sites related to the National History Day theme for this academic year – “Individual in History: Actions and Legacies.”

While National History Day takes much effort above and beyond daily classroom work for the faculty and staff at the school, the event is well worth the work in the benefits it provides students, according to those involved.

“It helps students make a connection to history,” said Leeann Myers, an eighth grade social studies teacher who coordinated the event at CDMS. “They are excited about discovering and finding out the answers to questions. It makes it meaningful to them.”

Students chose their topic in relation to the national theme and then decided what type of projects they wanted to complete. Display boards were filled with exhibits on a diversity of historical figures from Walt Disney to Rosa Parks. Performances, documentaries, papers and Web sites explored the impact of such people as Mozart, Albert Einstein and Henry Ford.

Through their projects, the students gain a sense of accomplishment in seeing something they have created alongside what other students have created, Myers said. In completing the project, the students learn research and writing skills, she added, and during the History Day event, participants have the opportunity to learn a life skill as they are interviewed by the judges about their projects and what they have learned.

“This will be an experience they will always remember,” Myers said.
Chuckey-Doak students who were members of the gifted class or voluntarily wanted to create a project have participated in the regional History Day event in the past. Last year, two students from CDMS advanced to the national competition with their exhibit.

However, a decision was made this year to have a schoolwide event through the leadership of CDMS Assistant Principal Kevin Ridley, who had previously served at Mosheim School and saw the results in student achievement that its participation in National History Day had brought.

Other than Myers, the social studies teachers had no experience with the event, but have been very supportive as well as the librarian and computer lab teacher, and all have gone the extra mile to help students.

Afterschool workshops were held in November for students to get help with their projects, and teachers volunteered their time to stay and assist the students. One of the biggest challenges in having the schoolwide event was the number of students who did not have a computer or Internet access at home, so they needed to have extra time at school to work on their projects, Myers said.

Volunteers also came from the Tusculum College Department of Museum Studies to help the students with their research several times during the fall, which was a great help to the teachers and students, Myers said. The department is the regional coordinator for History Day events.

The result of all this effort has been students getting excited about their projects and how well they may have done during the History Day event. “We are building a culture,” she said. “The students are excited about this. I am looking forward to what they do next year.”

The local History Day events, such as the one at CDMS, are financially supported by the Andrew Johnson Heritage Association. The Heritage Association also donated funds to provide resources to CDMS students to help them in their research and creation of projects.

“I was really impressed with the quality of the projects and what I saw,” said Joyce Doughty, president of the Andrew Johnson Heritage Association, who also served as one of the judges for event. “We are also pleased that we could make it possible to provide resources for the students in creating their projects.”

Judges for the History Fair also included students and faculty from Tusculum’s School of Education, college staff members, a retired Tusculum professor, Greene County School System administrators and retired teachers.

The regional History Fair will be Feb. 6 at Tusculum, hosted by the college’s Department of Museum Studies. Projects advancing to the regional event from CDMS include (by category):
Performance – first place, Daniel Beddingfield, Austin Fillers and Parker McCrary;
Documentaries – first place, Dustin Cobble;
Web sites – first place, Deaton Myers;
Individual Exhibits – Sixth grade, first place, Peyton Bacon; second place, Ashleigh Waddell; and third place, Allison GeFellers.
Seventh grade: first place, Chrysta Long; second place, Coalton Webb; and third place, Elizabeth Williams.
Eighth grade: first place, Linus Evans; second place, Cody Dippel, and third place, Wes Carroll.
Group Exhibits – Sixth grade: first place, Alexus Gibson and Michala Myers; second place, Jordan Carter and Dakota Ricker; and third place, Makaylen Cutshall and Caitlin Gosnell.
Seventh grade: first place, Brooklyn Hall and Mariah Schrodt; second place, Maddy Hensley and Katie Bishop; and third place, Taylor Johnson and Ben Gridley.
Eighth grade: first place, Matthew Hensley, Jordan Murphy, and Hannah Riddle; second place, Chelsey Walker and Summer Watkins; and third place (tie) Brandon Atlasy and Simeon Roberts; and Megan Butcher and Samantha Griffin.

The Doak House Museum and the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library are administered by the Tusculum College Department of Museum Program and Studies under the direction of George Collins, director of Museum Program and Studies, and Cindy Lucas, associate director of the department and director of the Doak House Museum. The department also offers one of the few undergraduate degree programs in museum studies in the country.

The Doak House Museum, which was the home of the Rev. Samuel Witherspoon Doak, co-founder of the college, hosted more than 10,000 school children from East Tennessee last year for a variety of educational programs related to the 19th century and CHARACTER COUNTS!

The Andrew Johnson Museum, located in the oldest academic building on campus, houses a collection of books, papers and memorabilia of the 17th president of the United States.  The museum also houses the Charles Coffin Collection from the original college library and the College archives containing documents related to the history of Tusculum.  The museums are also two of the 10 structures on the Tusculum campus on the National Register of Historic Places.

The museum, located on the Tusculum College campus, will offer three waist-apron making workshops in February. Workshops will be held Thursday, Feb. 12; Saturday, Feb. 14; and Wednesday, Feb. 18. Each workshop will be 10 a.m. to noon with light refreshments and an “apron fashion show” to follow from noon to 1 p.m.

Individuals looking for a fun activity to get out of the house and escape the winter blues, those wanting to learn a new skill or perhaps make some special gifts for family or friends can find what they are seeking at this workshop. Groups and clubs are also welcome to reserve an entire time slot.

All supplies and instruction will be provided as part of the workshops. The cost for the workshop is $20 per person with advanced registration.. Proceeds from the workshops will benefit the educational programs of the Doak House Museum.

Reservations are required, and tickets will be sold on a first-purchased, first-served basis. Tickets at the door will be $25, if available.  Please call 423-636-8554 for ticket information.  No refunds will be given.

Sixty-five years after the film of Andrew Johnson’s life was first shown in his hometown, the Museums of Tusculum College are bringing the movie back to the screen of the Capitol Theatre as part of the community’s celebration of the bicentennial of the 17th president’s birth. The screening will be 7 p.m. on Friday, May 16, at the historic Capitol Theatre.

Admission to the movie is free. In 1943, when it was originally screened, admission was 11 cents for the matinee and 30 cents for the evening show.

The MGM production, which was interestingly called “Andrew Johnson, The Man on America’s Conscience” in England, has been provided for the screening through the generosity of Turner Classic Movies. Support for this program has been provided in-part by the Andrew Johnson Bicentennial Committee, which is coordinating the Greeneville community’s celebration of the 200th anniversary of its most famous son’s birth through a variety of events.

The film, directed by William Dieterle, starred Van Heflin as Johnson, Lionel Barrymore as his nemesis, Thaddeus Stevens, and Ruth Hussey as Eliza McCardle Johnson. The screenplay was written by Milton Ginzburg, Alvin Meyes, John Balderston, and Wells Root.

World War II movie news clips will be shown with the film to give viewers the flavor of the times in which “Tennessee Johnson” originally premiered in Greeneville.

Also illustrating the nationalistic flavor of 1943 will be a display, created by Tusculum College Museum Studies students, which will be in the lobby of the Capitol for the screening. The display features the movie poster and stills, information about the film, and war effort-related advertising from the era in which the film was produced and shown.

Historian Dr. Robert Orr, an expert on Johnson’s life, will provide commentary prior to the showing of the move, noting the historical inaccuracies found in the film. Those familiar with Johnson’s life will quickly spot these inaccuracies, possibly the result of “Hollywoodization” of some of the events to make them more dramatic for the big screen.

“Tennessee Johnson” depicts the events building up to the impeachment of Johnson. The film traces Johnson’s humble arrival in Greeneville as a runaway tailor’s apprentice and his first foray into politics on the local level.

The film then follows Johnson’s experience on the national level as a U.S. Senator, who refuses to join his Southern colleagues in their exodus from the Senate chambers once the secession began, as Lincoln’s vice president, and as president.

After Lincoln’s assassination, Johnson begins to bump heads with the Radical Republicans who want to punish the South, which differs from Johnson’s policy of reconciliation with the South. The film climaxes with the events surrounding Johnson’s impeachment and subsequent trial.

Volunteers from the Nathanael Greene Museum will be providing support during the screening and offer refreshments during the evening intermission.

Commemoration of the Andrew Johnson Bicentennial is a focal point this year for the Museums of Tusculum College. The museums have developed a new educational program for school groups that focuses on the Constitution and Johnson’s life and a special exhibit featuring artifacts from the life of Johnson is on display at the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library. On September 17, the Museums are organizing a special commemoration of the Bicentennial and National Constitution Day with a performance by the 113rd U.S. Army Band from Fort Knox. On September 18, the Museums will host a Symposium exploring Johnson’s life, his impact on his era, the presidency and the Constitution and featuring experts Dr. Paul Bergeron of the University of Tennessee, Dr. Michael Kent Curtis of Wake Forest University School of Law, Dr. Eric Foner of Columbia University and Dr. Orr.

Sarden and Sehler were among the 20 community volunteers from seven counties in Northeast Tennessee recognized for exemplary citizenship and outstanding character with the awards during “Celebrating the Past and Future of Our Civic Heritage” program, hosted by Tusculum College, the First Tennessee Human Resource Agency, and Foundation for Life Principles.

Nominations for the awards came from each of the communities involved, and the award recipients are people who often work behind the scenes and may not have gotten much public recognition for their efforts, said Dale Fair, executive director of the First Tennessee Human Resource Agency.

“This recognition came from the people in your community,” he told the award recipients. “Someone has been watching what you do. It has nothing to do with titles or halls of fame, but with the little things that people notice. In reading through the nominations, almost every one said that the nominee loves their community.”

In announcing the award for Patty Sarden, Fair noted her varied community service using her creative talents to assist others. An amateur artist, she has been involved in Black History Month by displaying her artwork in the Nathanael Greene Museum. She writes and recites poetry in the community, has been involved in a writing
correspondence course with children, and writes children’s stories and Christmas skits.

A self-taught pianist, Sarden is minister of music at Jones Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church and volunteers to play at weddings, funerals, and social events. Sarden was the first president of the George Clem Scholarship Foundation, and was involved with the foundation in the 1980s and helped reorganize it in the 1990s. Sarden helped in the fundraising for scholarships and in selecting the scholarship recipients. She was also part of the reunion committee for the George Clem community.

Announcing the award for Kathy Sehler, Fair said she was described as the “epitome of ‘super mom’” in her nomination. Sehler has taken a number of foreign exchange students into her home over the years and provided them a warm, caring place to call home during their time in the United States. “She has cared for the foreign exchange students as she cares for her own children,” he added.

From the individual award recipients, a person is chosen to receive the overall Balch-Doak Award for the region. This year’s recipient is Kathi Baty of Washington County, who shares her personal battle with breast cancer in efforts advocating regular screenings for the disease.

The Balch-Doak Award is named for Rev. Hezekiah Balch, the founder of Greeneville College, and the Rev. Samuel Doak, a co-founder of Tusculum Academy, the two educational institutions that evolved into the Tusculum College of today. George Collins, director of the college’s Museum Program and Studies, said that as both Rev. Balch and Rev. Doak believed in an education that included the development of good character, they would be pleased with the event that recognizes those who exemplify the type of citizens they were trying to develop through their teaching.

Carrie Marchant, vice president of development for the Foundation of Life Principles, recalled discussing with Collins in 2003 a way to recognize adults who serve others and are role models of character in their communities and from that discussion, the awards program was established. Marchant has worked with the CHARACTER COUNTS! and Moral Kombat programs in the region for several years, and CHARACTER COUNTS! is part of the “Quill Mark and Ink Spot” educational program for school children at the Doak House Museum on the Tusculum campus.

“In a world filled with so many other things, it is refreshing to be in a room filled with so much goodness,” she said. In her work with young people, Marchant said she unfortunately finds that many young people are not able to see their values, which is not the case with the award recipients. “The people in this room have stood up and said ‘I am going to do the right thing whatever it costs’,” she added.

The award recipients were welcomed to the college by Dr. Russell Nichols, interim president of Tusculum, who discussed the college’s continuing efforts to provide students an education that includes development of strong citizenship and good character, a mission that dates back to its founders.

“At this historic institution, we celebrate what you are doing and thank you for the work you are doing,” he said. “May God bless you for your efforts.”

State Rep. Eddie Yokley (D-11) also addressed the recipients, thanking them for their efforts to serve others in their communities.

Kathy Sehler, left, and Patty Sarden were the Greene County recipients of 2008 Civic Responsibility and Outstanding Character awards presented Thursday evening by Tusculum College, the First Tennessee Human Resource Agency, and Foundation for Life Principles.

“Andrew Johnson: Heritage, Legacy & Our Constitution,” tells the story of Johnson’s life through a varied collection of artifacts and documents from the different periods of his life.

Artifacts, such as White House silver, son Robert’s sewing kit used during the Civil War, and the President’s collar box, which have been rarely displayed publicly, are part of this special exhibit, which is one of the many community events in Johnson’s hometown of Greeneville honoring him in commemoration of the bicentennial in 2008 of the 17th president’s birth.

A number of the items on display are from Johnson’s time in Washington including a rare invitation to the Lincoln and Johnson inaugural ball and an invitation from President and Mrs. Johnson to an event at the White House as well as papers signed by Johnson including a “Proclamation of Amnesty and Pardon” granted to former Confederates as part of his Reconstruction program.

A campaign poster from the election of 1864 shows that political associations and marketing image were as important in the 19th century as they are now as the poster features a portrait of George Washington nestled between those of Abraham Lincoln and Johnson as well as noted Union generals.

The tumultuous time of the Reconstruction and the political struggles in Washington are reflected in a display of editorial cartoons and illustrations from Johnson’s time in office including one called “Uncle Sam’s Circus,” which has Johnson leaping through a hoop labeled “The Tenure of Office Act”.

Several artifacts on display are items that were used by Johnson’s family members including a slipper eye glass case and a colorful fan belonging to his wife, Eliza Johnson, and dresses worn by his granddaughter, and Mrs. Johnson’s rocking chair. The exhibit also has portraits of all five of Johnson’s children and a silhouette of Johnson, Eliza and their two daughters done when they first went to Washington in 1843.

Also on display are a number of items from the funeral for Johnson including a uniform worn by member of the Andrew Johnson Guard in the funeral procession, black lace fingerless gloves and a black and white net handkerchief, and presentation book presented to the family from the Common Council of the City of New York, and the front-page covering article about Johnson’s death from the Greeneville Intelligencer newspaper. The soldier’s uniform is one of the items on loan to the museum for the special exhibit from the Tennessee State Museum.

The exhibit contains information on the U.S. Constitution as Johnson knew it and the issues that surrounded Reconstruction. Also, on exhibit is a book that belonged to President Johnson that includes the Constitution. The room on the Constitution also features a rare image of abolitionist John Brown that was given to Johnson as well as one of his archenemies, Senator Charles Sumner.

Also on exhibit is a display about the movie “Tennessee Johnson,” which was created by Tusculum students majoring in Museum Studies. The attractive display includes stills and other information about the 1943 movie, which is being shown on May 16 at the Capitol Theatre in downtown Greeneville as part of the bicentennial. Also part of the display is advertising from the World War II era, illustrating the nationalistic atmosphere in which the movie was produced and shown.

Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday.  The exhibit will be on display through the end of the year.

Supporters of the exhibit and the Museums’ educational programs for Johnson’s bicentennial celebration include the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, the Andrew Johnson Bicentennial Committee, the State of Tennessee and State Rep. David Hawk (R-5), the Bartlett-Patterson Corporation, the Niswonger Foundation, the Tennessee State Museum, the Andrew Johnson Heritage Association, Tusculum College, the National Park Service, Judith Plucker, the Frame Shop – Ed and Betty Davis, Copies Unlimited – Jancie Painter and Randall McAmis, Austin & Company – Betsy Austin, and Turner Class Movies.

Commemoration of the Andrew Johnson Bicentennial is a focal point this year for the two museums at the college. In addition to the special Johnson exhibit, the museums have developed a new educational program for school groups that focuses on the Constitution and Johnson’s life. On September 17, the Museums are organizing a special commemoration of the Bicentennial and National Constitution Day with a performance by the 103rd U.S. Army Band. On September 18, the Museums will host a Symposium exploring Johnson’s life, his impact on his era, the presidency and the Constitution and featuring experts Dr. Paul Bergeron of the University of Tennessee, Dr. Michael Kent Curtis of Wake Forest University School of Law, Dr. Eric Foner of Columbia University and Dr. Robert Orr of Walters State Community College and Washington College Academy.

In commemoration of the bicentennial of Andrew Johnson’s birth, a new exhibit at the President Andrew Johnson Museum & Library tells the story of the 17th president’s life through a varied collection of artifacts and documents. Among the items on display are the rocking chair of Johnson’s wife, Eliza (at left), white house silver and items from his funeral including a uniform worn by a member of the Andrew Johnson Guard (center), and several personal items (at right).