University to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day
FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, January 3, 2006
Huntington, Ind. "Huntington University will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a service featuring civil rights activists George and Louise Smith of Fort Wayne, Ind. Preeminence, the University's worship ensemble, will provide music for the event. The service will be held Tuesday, January 17, 2006, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Zurcher Auditorium of the Merillat Centre for the Arts. The public is invited to attend.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith were active in the Congress of Racial Equality, headquartered in Meridian, Miss., during the 1960s. As a result of their involvement, they experienced harassment, intimidation, and vandalism. Growing up in Meridian, Mr. Smith became close friends with James Chaney, one of three civil rights workers killed in Mississippi in June 1964. The 1988 movie Mississippi Burning is based in part on the story of those three workers.
Mr. Smith is retired from General Motors in Defiance, Ohio, where he worked for 30 years. Mrs. Smith was employed for 28 years by the city of Fort Wayne in the purchasing/office services department. Mr. Smith currently promotes gospel music and directs a men's choir.
For more information, contact Jesse Brown, director of residence life, at (260) 359-4028.
