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Madam Millie and Me

8 Jul

This post is inspired by a recent post at Serendipity. Stop by there for a visit and stay awhile. You will be entertained and educated.

Before I started graduate school, I knew that I wanted my studies to focus on the American West. As I got further involved, the realization hit that the American West is a broad subject that needed to be whittled down. With a background in business, I became interested in the economic aspects of the West. I had grown up watching movies where cowboys rode alone across the Plains. It turns out that they were really working for huge corporations, and I found that totally fascinating.

With that in mind, I walked into my professors office and said that I wanted to research the cattle industry.

Nope. That had been done by many historians. I needed to pick something else.

The next choice was the mining industry.

Nope. That one has been covered.

What about the lumber industry?

That one was not going to work, either.

After several more rejections, I asked if he had something in mind. He did.

He suggested that I research the prostitution industry in the West.

It sounded good to me, and I agreed. After all, I had run out of ideas.

I researched, wrote and did all of the other things that aspiring historians are told to do. Fast forward a few years, and our story begins.

I got a call from George Harding, a local man who was quite the character. He loved being involved in politics and was most comfortable in the proverbial smoke-filled room. Most people do not realize the effect George had on our community because he mostly operated out of the public eye. He is the kind of man who would say anything and not care who heard him. A lot of people liked George, but a lot of other people did not.

I always liked him because he was full of good stories about people around town. One day, I got a call from him saying that he wanted to see me.

George had family in New Mexico, and they sent a book for him to read. That is one other reason I liked George. He loved to read about history. This book was called Madam Millie: Bordellos from Silver City to Ketchikan.Madam Millie

When he brought out the book and talked about reading it, I thought he was going to ask me what I knew about Millie. That is one of the problems with teaching history. People tend to think that if you are a historian, then you know everything. A wise man once told me that going far in graduate school means that you know more and more about less and less. I think that is an excellent description.

However, George was not there to ask questions. He said that he was reading through the book when he recognized a name. Opening to the page, he pointed to the spot where I was used as a source. Holy crap, I was deemed by someone to be such an expert in prostitution that they used me as a source in their book.

That was the first time I had ever seen my name in print and was pretty fired up about it. Immediately, I ordered the book, and, when it arrived, I took it to my parents.

I guess they were excited, but you could not tell it by the response.

“You have spent all of these years in school, and you are in a book with a picture of a naked woman on the cover.”

Yep, I had made it. I was an official historian of prostitution in the American West.

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Another Night in Old Nashville

7 Jul

Recent TMZ headlines have brought to mind a night from many years back that I spent with some friends. We were crazy about concerts and would always find a way to see our favorite people. Nashville had venues for the popular performers, but there were plenty of smaller places for those on the rise. One of those was called 328 Performance Hall.Performance Hall

It is not around anymore. In fact, I drove past it on the way back from our anniversary celebration and wondered what was going on in its space. Way back when, it was a slightly sketchy part of town with a strip club across the street. These days, new development is moving in, and the old buildings are probably not long for the world.

The interior was a stage in an old warehouse. There could have been a few seats, but I never found them. The deal was to get there early and find a standing spot in front of the stage.

That is exactly what we did to see Edwin McCain, a performer with a cult following who always seemed to be on the cusp of stardom. However, he never made it over the top to the big time. Edwin was one of the numerous examples of a great talent who fell short of great fame.

The place was packed. We were up against the stage. I have no recollection of the show put on by Edwin McCain. It has nothing to do with libations. It is purely one of those things that has slipped from my mind. However, I have not forgotten everything about that night.

First, my buddy got visibly uneasy when one of the women in our group felt the need to feel him up from behind. For most of my buddies that would have been an awesome experience. The problem for this friend is that his wife was standing in front of him.

Then, there was the opening act. This young girl came out with a big smile and a guitar. She sat on a stool directly in front of us and started to sing. There was no band. There was just her, the guitar and her high voice. She sang mostly slow songs about love and heartbreak and would have been perfect in a coffeehouse. Unfortunately, we were not in a coffeehouse and wanted something more rocking. She sang a few fast songs that made her, well, jiggle, and I can remember that being a highlight.

The bottom line is that she had some good songs, but there was nothing that compared to the Edwin McCain stuff.

Fast forward to a month later. I am flipping through the radio when a familiar voice singing a familiar song comes through the speakers. It takes a second, but I realized it was the girl from 328 Performance Hall. We had seen her live, and, suddenly, she was the biggest thing around. The radio and the listeners could not get enough of Jewel.Jewel

Jewel had several hits in a short amount of time, then she married a rodeo star. Now, TMZ says they are getting divorced. I wonder if she will start touring again. I also wonder whatever happened to Edwin McCain.

 

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Remembering Steve McNair

4 Jul

July 4, 2009 – People throughout Nashville and the Middle Tennessee area were getting ready for a big Fourth of July celebration. The huge fireworks show in downtown was being prepared. Streets were being blocked off for the crowds. People were cooking out in the surrounding counties. I had just shown up at my friend’s house in Rutherford County.

That is when the shocking news began to spread. I got texts. We turned on the television. News vans had descended on a condo in Nashville where Steve McNair was found dead.Steve McNair

I did not know Steve McNair. One night, I saw him shooting pool in a bar, but that does not mean you know someone. However, I was one of thousands of people who walked into a football stadium and watched him play quarterback for the Tennessee Titans.

He was more than a quarterback. He was the icon of a city. When the Houston Oilers became the Tennessee Titans, a lot of people thought it would never work. Nashville was not big enough to support an NFL team. The first years proved the doubters right as the team struggled in Memphis and at Vanderbilt’s stadium before getting a home of their own. As the team struggled, Steve McNair got much of the blame.

However, when they got into the new stadium, the abilities of McNair and the rest of the team appeared. Imagine not having an NFL team in your city then getting one. Take your imagination further and think about how it would feel if that team went to the Super Bowl in their first year. On top of that, include a miracle play that propelled them on the magical run.

That year was great, and the fans were spoiled. Heck, this must be the way it is going to be every year.

I was in the Georgia Dome when Steve McNair almost completed one of the great comebacks in Super Bowl history. The team fell one yard short, but it epitomized what we would see from him in the years to come.

Steve McNair was a quarterback, but he was also a leader. He showed his toughness by playing hurt and running over defenders. He proved his college nickname of “Air McNair” was true when he won the MVP award. People admired him for his leadership and his ability. It was as if nothing could bring Steve McNair down.

Five years ago, that was proven wrong. As the days passed, the coverage of his death was constantly on television. It was one of the biggest news stories in Nashville’s history. People wondered what happened, and, eventually, the police told us. Steve McNair was the victim of a murder/suicide carried out by a young woman he had a relationship with. Obviously, that young woman was not his wife.

I am not here to judge him on his decisions. I am here to say that those who saw him play will remember those great games, but they will also remember when they heard the news of his death. On July 4, the people of Middle Tennessee celebrate Independence Day with fireworks and cookouts. However, many of them will also think about Steve McNair; the impact he had on this area; and the tragedy that befell him.

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The Yard Dog Award – Stealing Signs

21 Jun

It has been a while since we presented someone with the Yard Dog Award. The first one went to a porn king, and the second went to a wonderful gentleman in Cleveland, Ohio. This one is more political in nature.

At some point in the past, I wrote about my issues with politicians and the designs of their yard signs. This time, I take issue with people who steal those yard signs.Stealing

During this election cycle, there has been an epidemic of signs disappearing in the middle of the night. Heck, they have also been disappearing during the day. It is certain that these signs are not pulling themselves out of the ground and walking off. No, it is the work of thieves. Who are these people?

It could be people who support another candidate.

It could be people with nothing better to do.

It could be people who think they are secret agents going on dangerous missions.

It really does not matter why people do it. What matters is that it is stealing.

Here is the thing. People can be against a candidate and go around telling people how terrible it would be if they got elected. People can tell a candidate to their face that they would not vote for them in a million years. People can do all kinds of things in elections, and recent years have shown us that elections are not cordial.

However, these candidates have decided to put their name on a ballot because they want to serve the community. It takes guts to be a candidate because the chance of losing is always there. On top of that, they are spending their own money to buy signs to put in yards.

Candidates running for state or federal office have plenty of donors and the party coffers behind them, but local candidates do not have that support. They have a few supporters who give them a little money, and they have their own checkbook. There is no reason to steal something that they have spent hard-earned money on.

The Yard Dog Award goes to those people who think it is a good idea to steal yard signs. It is a ridiculous and childish act that most people think is stupid.

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The Legacy of the Phoenix

13 Jun

A couple of posts ago, I mentioned that we attended the Phoenix Ball, an annual fundraiser for Cumberland University. For decades, the Phoenix has been the symbol of our institution. It is represented on the uniforms of our teams and is etched in the stained glass of Baird Chapel.Baird Chapel

This is strange to a lot of people because we are called the Bulldogs. They always ask why we have a bird as a symbol if our mascot is a dog. Well, this is why.

Cumberland University was founded in 1842 and quickly established itself as one of the best institutes of higher learning. Its claim to fame was having the first law school west of the Appalachian Mountains. However, problems arose in 1861 and the start of the Civil War. Most of the students and faculty enlisted in the armies of their states and made their way to the battlefields.

Eventually, the Civil War made its way to campus, and the original buildings were burned.Cumberland Original

Some say that the campus was burned by the Union army. Others say it was burned by the Confederates when they found out that the campus had been used to house African-American soldiers of the Union. It does not matter who did the deed. What matters is that Cumberland University no longer had a home.

When the war ended, the leadership of Cumberland University was determined that the school would continue. For years, classes were held in buildings around town. In 1892, the generosity of others allowed the university to purchase land for a new campus and build a new building. Memorial Hall was completed in 1896.Memorial Hall 2

The university was destroyed by fire and rose from the ashes. That is why the mythical Phoenix became the symbol of the university. However, the university has risen several times from the brink of disaster.

It survived the loss of support from both the Presbyterians and the Baptists.

It survived as students went off to more wars. In fact, it became the headquarters of the Tennessee Maneuvers that trained soldiers for the invasion of Europe in World War II.

It survived a tornado that ripped across Memorial Hall. The scars of its reconstruction can still be seen.

It survived the loss of its law school, which was renown for its graduates. One of those graduates was Cordell Hull, the Father of the United Nations.

It survived the move to become a junior college and returned to being a four-year institution in the 1980s.

Today, Cumberland University has the highest enrollment in its history. We offer undergraduate degrees in many disciplines. We also offer several graduate degrees.

As a graduate and faculty member at Cumberland University, I know the trials that the school has endured and its ability to survive and thrive. It is a special place with a long and proud history, and I can think of no better symbol than the Phoenix.

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Money Cannot Buy Class

8 Jun

One of my favorite movies is Home from the Hill, a 1960 melodrama starring Robert Mitchum and Eleanor Parker. It follows the lives of Wade Hunnicutt and his family through a myriad of Shakespearean conflicts. Their’s is far from the perfect family. However, there is another aspect of Wade’s life that attracts me to the movie. He is the richest man in town.Home from the Hill

Hunnicutt owns all of the good farmland and lives in the biggest house. Everyone calls him Captain as a sign of respect, but it is also a sign of obedience. Hunnicutt’s stature leads him to believe that he has the right to do anything he wants. He plainly states his outlook on life when he says that he is the “kind of man that walks around with nothing in his pockets, no identification because everyone knows who you are. No cash because anyone in town would be happy to lend you anything you need. No keys ’cause you don’t keep a lock on a single thing you own. And no watch because time waits on you.”

Hunnicutt also believes that he is the kind of man who can have any woman he wants, single or married, because his wealth and power allows it. In fact, the movie begins with Hunnicutt getting shot by a jealous husband. As the movie continues, it gets more and more complicated.

So, why am I interested in the story of Wade Hunnicutt? Because he is the perfect example of how people with wealth or power should not act. People who are lucky enough to hold such status should be humble and should realize that it does not make them better than others. They should realize that they do not have the right to treat others with disrespect.

A lot of discussion has focused on the 1%. Well, it is real people like the fictional Wade Hunnicutt who give the 1% a bad name. Sure, Hunnicutt may be an over the top caricature, but he still represents the idea wealth and power allows people to act in ways that are inappropriate.Phoenix Ball

Last night, we attended the Phoenix Ball, a local gathering that raises money for Cumberland University, and I started thinking about this. We ran into a lady who has been a long time resident of our town and is someone of means. However, you would not know it by talking to her. She does not put on airs and always takes time to ask about family and friends. In essence, she knows how to act. She has class.

I have been in the presence of a lot of people who are like her. You would never know what they have through their actions. However, I have also been in the presence of a lot of people who make a point to let you know who they are and where they rank. I wonder which ones are truly the more successful.

As I tweeted earlier, money can buy a lot of things, but it cannot buy class. I wish more people would realize that money does not bring respect. Being a good person and treating people right is what brings respect. That is something people from all economic levels can do.

 

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Annual Activities Report, or There is a Lot to this Higher Education Stuff

1 Jun

Teaching in higher education is a great job. I get to talk about history and, hopefully, fill the minds of students with information that they need to know. It is great to have a student come up after class and ask a question. It is great when they show interest in what we are talking about. There is great satisfaction in being a teacher.History Teacher

However, higher education is about more than teaching. We are expected to serve the university as members of various committees. We are expected to take part in scholarly activities outside of the classroom. We are expected to serve the surrounding community.

At the end of each academic year, we turn in an Annual Activities Report to our dean. It is a way for the administration to know that we are doing our jobs. I just finished my report and realized that it has been a very busy year.

In the Fall of 2013, I taught four classes and one directed study. Three of the classes were surveys over the first part of American history, and one was the history of Latin America. Enrolled in those courses, were 132 students. I also taught four classes in the Spring of 2014. Three were surveys over the second part of American history, and one was the Expansion of the United States, my specialty. Those classes had 118 students. In addition, I was an advisor to 18 students in the Fall and 12 students in the Spring.

In October of 2013, I attended the conference of the Western History Association in Tucson, Arizona. It was an awesome experience. I was also able to raise $15,000 for faculty development.

Did I mention committees? During this academic year, I have served on the Faculty Senate, the GEC (General Education Core) Committee, the Athletic Committee and the Athletic Compliance Committee. Those last two are part of my duties as Faculty Athletic Representative.

As Faculty Athletic Representative, I have also attended meetings of G-MAC, the conference that we are moving into. That is part of our move to Division II of the NCAA. There are several sports on campus, and I have been to games of  baseball, soccer, softball and football.

Oh yeah, I am also the Pi Gamma Mu sponsor, which is the national honor society for the Social Sciences. We also have Phi Alpha Theta, the national honor society for History.

It seems as if there is always something to do on campus, but there are also plenty of things going on around town. I have spoken to the members of the First Presbyterian Church and been interviewed by three of Nashville’s television stations. Also, I have been interviewed by The Nashville Business Journal, The Tennessean, The Lebanon Democrat and The Wilson Post. I also wrote an article for Lebanon Living magazine.

Community service? There is a lot there, as well. I am a member of the board of directors for the James E. Ward Agriculture and Community Center, Fiddler’s Grove Historic Village and the Buchanan Historic Home. I am also on the Lebanon Regional Planning Commission and am a member of the Rotary Club.

When I entered higher education, I knew that I would be teaching history. This other stuff came as a surprise. The other surprise? I like doing all of this stuff.

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Hey, Nashville! Be a Real Music City and Build an Amphitheater

17 May

Last night, we went to a concert. That seems to be a theme for us since I am a concert addict. This one had three awesome act – The Devil Makes Three, Alison Krauss and Willie Nelson. Before the show, I had planned on a post about the show and the crowd. Instead, this post is about the venue.

It is called the Woods Amphitheater and has a semi-appropriate name. The woods part is accurate. Basically, they went into the middle of the woods and put up a stage. As far as I could see, that was the only major structure around.

While calling it an amphitheater is technically correct, it is a stretch of the definition. The reserved seats were folding chairs. There were a few concession stands. There were no permanent restroom facilities. My wife refused to drink anything in the fear that she might have to use the portable ones.

After spending too much time in a concession line, I said that I would not come back if Elvis rose from the dead for one last show. And, I am a huge Elvis fan.

In short, I was disappointed with the setup. A stage with folding chairs is advertised as a major concert venue. Look, the owners are not worried about what I think. The concert was sold out, and I am sure they are making plenty of money. However, the city of Nashville should be worried. It bills itself as Music City, but it does not have a real outdoor amphitheater where people can enjoy major acts in the outdoors. There is no excuse.

On top of that, we used to have a great once called Starwood.Starwood

Last night, I started thinking about Starwood and how cool it was. You could buy reserved seats under a cover. They were actually bolted to the floor. If you wanted to bring a blanket and sit on the grass hill behind the seats, then you could do that, too. The best place to sit depended on who was performing.

Starwood was the place where I got kicked out of a Metallica concert. Actually, my buddy got kicked out, and I had to go with him.

Starwood was the place where Robert and I walked into the middle of a knife fight at a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert.

Starwood was the place where I saw The Eagles on their first reunion tour. They opened up by playing the entire Hotel California album.

A lot of people have some great memories of what happened on the stage and in the crowd at Starwood.

As I sat in the wannabe amphitheater, I tried to think of the people I saw perform at the real amphitheater. This is not a complete list, but some of the concerts are hazy.

The aforementioned Metallica, Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Eagles in addition to:

KISS. Judas Priest. Hootie and the Blowfish. Edwin McCain. ZZ Top. Rod Stewart. Chicago. Elton John. Ted Nugent. Crosby, Stills and Nash. Motley Crue. John Fogerty. Rob Zombie. Velvet Revolver. Ozzie Osbourne. Alan Jackson. John Mellencamp. Jimmy Buffett. Def Leppard. Marshall Tucker Band. Meatloaf. Dave Matthews Band. Blues Traveler. Earth, Wind and Fire.

I have no idea how many more there are, but it is a bunch.

Starwood was not one of the all-time great concert locations, but it was better than what we have now. Nashville is a great place to listen to all kinds of live music. It has the Ryman Auditorium, which is legendary. It has an arena and a stadium for the huge shows. There are small places, like the Bluebird Cafe, scattered around town where great musicians perform every night. Heck, Dave Grohl did a surprise show there this week.

However, Nashville’s music scene will not be complete until it gets a real amphitheater.

 

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You Never Know What You are Going to Learn at the First Presbyterian Church

7 May

This past Saturday, I had the honor of speaking at the Men’s Breakfast at the First Presbyterian Church. We had a great meal, and I hope that I taught them some local history. As it turns out, I learned quite a bit of history from them.

After my presentation, I mentioned that this was my first time in the church. That meant that I got a tour from Dr. Bone, whose family has deep roots in our community.

He said that the church was built in 1910 and was built in an architectural design that came out of Ohio. The stain glass windows chronicle different stories in the Bible and were donated by prominent citizens of the time. Their names are part of the design. And, who designed them? Tiffany. Yes, it was a church filled with the town’s wealthiest citizens.First Presbyterian

He told me about the prominent members who have attended through the years and showed off the pipe organ. It was all very cool, but it was not as cool as the last story that Dr. Bone told me.

After college, Dr. Bone took a trip around the world. He found himself walking through the streets of a city in India when he heard an explosion in the distance. He kept walking but heard another explosion. This time, he decided to investigate.

As the came upon the scene, Dr. Bone saw that they were filming a movie. He saw some people sitting in chairs and watching the action. Most were locals, but there was a lady in a huge hat sitting on the end.

Dr. Bone made his way over to the lady and asked what was going on. She explained the scene to him and admitted that she had written the screenplay. After a few minutes, she asked him where he was from. Of course, he replied that he was from Tennessee.

With this knowledge, she lit up and said that her brother taught English at a university in Tennessee. It was Cumberland University (where I work). This time, Dr. Bone lit up. That is where he went to school, and her brother was his English teacher.

That is when she finally introduced herself.

“My name is Pearl Sydenstricker, but you probably know me better as Pearl Buck.”

Now, this is a story with a lot of moving parts. Local boy travels around the world; happens upon a movie being filmed in India; meets the screenwriter; finds out that her brother is Dr. Sydenstricker; and then finds out that he is talking to Pearl Buck.

That is one of the coolest stories I have ever heard. However, this is what I really could not believe. Pearl Buck’s brother taught English at Cumberland University, and I do not think many people know that. At least, I have never heard it, and I have heard a bunch of stories about the history of our university.

It goes to show that you never know what you will learn at the First Presbyterian Church.

 

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The Power of Dean

4 May

This week, I attended the “Power of 10” conference, an event where leaders from the ten counties that make up the Greater Nashville area get together and talk about the future.Power of Ten

It is a way to get people working together when they make decisions about where their communities are headed. It is a noble enterprise, but we cannot get towns in the same county to work together. Getting different counties to work together is almost impossible.

The room was filled with mayors, planners, members of city councils and assorted other pillars of their respective communities. I was there because I needed some training hours as a member of the planning commission. Unfortunately, I was not there on time because of work. That meant that I walked into the back of a packed house with a program that had already begun.

As I stood at the top of the stairs and scanned for an empty seat, an usher eased up to me and said that I could not stand there. No kidding. I explained that I did not intend to stand for the next four hours and was merely looking for a place to go. She brought to mind the ushers at the Ryman Auditorium. It is one of the great music halls of the world, but the ushers take their jobs way too seriously. Give someone a vest and a flashlight and they think they can rule the world. It is a power trip. I lovingly call them “Seat Nazis.”

I got away from the transfer from the Ryman and made my way to the other entrance. I did not want to crawl over anyone and was looking for an end seat. There was one left on the second row. I grew up in the Baptist church. Baptists do not sit on the second row. We hang around in the back.

I made the long trek to the bottom of the auditorium and immediately got a text saying, “It’s about time you showed up.” A friend was sitting six rows behind me. We texted for a while, but I learned a few things, too.

I missed much of the presentation that I walked in on, but the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation gave an informative presentation. He also told a few jokes.

We took a break and made our way to the concourse. There were a lot of people glad-handing and networking. I knew a few, but, for the most part, it seemed like a boring crowd. I backed up against a wall and just watched them. Finally, I decided to make my way inside and faced a tough decision. Should I go back to the seat that I hated, or should I steal someone else’s seat? I decided to be nice and go back to the second row.

This time, an elderly man sat in front of me, and he must have bathed in Brut. The smell was overwhelming. Now, I was packed into the front and lost in a fog on cologne. As people from different departments made their presentations, I was slowly dying. I looked around for any escape and immediately saw it.

The balcony had been opened. When I arrived, it was roped off. Now, there were about eight people sitting there. They were spread out with their feet propped up. The air was clean. I had to get there. Karl Dean, the mayor of Nashville, was going to speak, but I knew I could hear him just as good from the last row as I could from the second row.

Up the stairs I went with the hope that I would not get stopped by the recently transferred “Seat Nazi.” Maybe the people had snuck through, and I would be caught. I made it up the stairs and turned into the balcony. An usher was guarding the door but had his back to me. This was the moment of truth. He turned to me, and…

It was Dean, an old friend of mine. He used to work with Larry, the same guy who ordered the cheese sticks and spent a weekend with me in Cleveland, Ohio. Dean is a University of Tennessee fanatic like the rest of us, and I had not seen him in years.

Now, I had another choice. Do I listen to Karl Dean, or do I stand outside and talk with Usher Dean? It was an easy decision. I knew that I would learn a lot more from Usher Dean than some politician trying to spin his agenda. While the mayor of Nashville spoke to hundreds of people, Usher Dean and I had a great conversation in the hallway. In my mind, he knew a lot more than anyone who took the stage.

What is the Power of Dean? Well, that depends on which Dean you are talking about.

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