An Invitation to Write Lumpkin County History with Your Students

By Esther Morgan-Ellis 

Esther Morgan-Ellis is a Professor of Music and Assistant Director of the Appalachian Studies Center.

The Lumpkin County bicentennial is fast approaching—and with it, an unparalleled opportunity to get your students involved in a research project that will have a lasting impact on the community. The UNG Appalachian Studies Center is partnering with the Lumpkin County Historical Society to produce an edited collection tentatively titled History of Lumpkin County: The Second Hundred Years, 1932-2032. Each chapter will survey a topic (e.g., downtown, education, recreation, religion) over the entire time span. The breadth of the volume means that there is something for students in every degree path to contribute. We expect to work with UNG Press to issue a scholarly collection in time for the commemoration.

There are many ways for UNG students to become involved as contributors, and we hope to include a great deal of student work. Entire classes can collaborate on a topic, or individual students can do research as an independent project or capstone. Faculty can coach student work or serve as coauthors. (Contributions from faculty alone are also welcome.) Students benefit enormously from undertaking original research and seeing their writing in the hands of an enthusiastic public. Give some thought to what your students can contribute!

A preliminary Contributors’ Guide contains information on potential topics, how to conduct historical research, and how to cite sources. Please feel free to suggest improvements and share the guide with students.

We are accepting chapter drafts through the Spring 2029 semester, so there is plenty of time to plan your students’ involvement—but don’t delay! Topics are already being claimed. If you would like to talk about getting students involved, whether as part of a class or as an independent project, please reach out to esther.morgan-ellis@ung.edu.