Emily Lisska, Executive Director of the Jacksonville Historical Society will be our guest speaker this Thursday, January 14. Mrs. Lisska is a Jacksonville native and a graduate of the University of Florida and attended Florida State University for graduate studies.
As the director of the society since 1996, she oversees the organization’s projects, including restoration of the 1879 Merrill House and the society’s restored headquarters and million dollar restoration, the National Register Old St. Andrews. She oversees what she believes is the most important work of the society, its archival repository, as treasure trove of documents and photographs of area history.
Emily has taken an active role in local history publications. She spearheaded a reprint of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1873 book, Palmetto Leaves. She wrote the grant to provide seed money for the society’s award-winning publication, The Great Fire of 190l, and she is a contributing editor to the book. Among her credits is the acclaimed Jacksonville Family Album which she wrote and edited along with noted author Wayne Wood.
After Emily speaks, Carter Rosenbloom will provide our member craft talk.
Anyone is welcome to attend our membership meetings. We look forward to seeing and introducing ourselves to guests. We meet at the Haskell building in Riverside at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month.
First Coast Rotaract 