NATCHITOCHES – The accomplishments of Dr. Hiram “Pete” Gregory, anthropologist, archaeologist and professor at Northwestern State University, will be highlighted during the release of the Fall 2019 edition of “64 Parishes,” the quarterly publication of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.  The celebration will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18 at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, 800 Front St., Natchitoches.

 

Earlier this year, LEH honored Gregory with the 2019 Lifetime Contribution to the Humanities Award that recognizes individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to the study and understanding of the humanities.

 

Hosted by LEH and the Natchitoches Convention and Visitors Bureau, the event is free and open to the public. Complimentary refreshments will be on offer from students in NSU’s Hospitality Management and Tourism program and Cane River Brewing Company.

 

Gregory is in his 59th year as a member of NSU’s faculty and is believed to be the longest-serving employee in the university’s 135-year history. He is academic advisor of the Louisiana Creole Heritage Center and the curator for NSU’s Williamson Museum, which houses a collection of over 100,000 artifacts, including arts and crafts from 41 different tribes of the southeastern United States.

 

“64 Parishes’” fall issue, focused on Louisiana foodways, also highlights the work of folklorist and filé maker John Oswald Colson of Natchitoches Parish and anthropologist Dustin Fuqua to ensure the sustainability of sassafras and the file-making tradition. Both men will be at the event to take part in a moderated discussion with Gregory on central Louisiana’s food traditions.

 

The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing educational opportunities to all residents of the state. Guided by the vision that everyone can realize their full potential through the humanities, LEH partners with communities, institutions and individuals to provide grant-supported outreach programs, literacy initiatives for all ages, publications, film and radio documentaries, museum exhibitions, public lectures, library projects, 64 Parishes magazine and other diverse public humanities programming. For more information, visit leh.org.

 

Dr. Pete Gregory