East Tennessee Roots & Resources

4:00 PM 
Walking tours

East Tennessee Roots & Resources opens with in-depth tours of the main departments that make up the East Tennessee History Center. Participants may choose one of the following:

A (Third Floor): Tour of the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection–Eric Dawson, Manager, McClung Collection, Knox County Public Library

B (Second Floor): Tour of Knox County Archives–Eric S. Head, County Archivist, Knox County Public Library

C (First Floor): Tour of the Museum of East Tennessee History–Adam H. Alfrey, Assistant Director of Historical Services, Knox County Public Library

5:00 PM 
Reception 

Auditorium, First Floor

Enjoy light refreshments as you mingle with genealogists, historians, and researchers who share your interest in the people and places of East Tennessee.

6:00 PM
Welcome & keynote

Auditorium, First Floor

Hear from Dr. Warren Dockter, President and CEO of the East Tennessee Historical Society, who will welcome participants to the inaugural East Tennessee Roots & Resources and share exciting news about the future of First Families of Tennessee and Civil War Families of Tennessee, the Society’s long-running lineage certificate programs.

Then, enjoy  Charles A. Sherrill's keynote, “Microfilm, Manuscripts, and Mayhem: Joys and Trials of a Genealogy Junkie.” 

9:00 AM-5:00 PM 
Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection open for research

Third Floor

Take the lobby elevators to the third floor of the East Tennessee History Center and delve into the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection, Knox County Public Library. Reference librarians will be on hand to orient you to the collection and help you access its varied and wide-ranging resources.

9:30 AM-3:30 PM 
Roots & Resources Hall open

Back of the Auditorium, First Floor

Drop by the Roots & Resources Hall and chat with presenters, organizations, and vendors who may be able to help you on your journey to discover your family’s story. The East Tennessee Historical Society will also offer a special sale on selected publications. 

10:00 AM-4:00 PM 
Museum of East Tennessee History open with free admission

First Floor

Stroll through East Tennessee’s past in the Museum of East Tennessee History, where free, hands-on activities will inspire young ones to become genealogists and start exploring their family’s story.

1:00 PM-5:00 PM 
Open research in Knox County Archives and the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection

East Tennessee Roots & Resources concludes with an opportunity for an afternoon of research in Knox County Archives (second floor, open specially for Roots & Resources participants) and the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection (third floor).

Charles A. Sherrill has written and lectured extensively about Tennessee genealogical research for 40 years. He retired as State Librarian and Archivist of Tennessee in 2022. His publications include the NGS Guide to Research in Tennessee, two family genealogies, the two-volume Tennessee Convicts, and The Reconstructed 1810 Tennessee Census. Chuck has been the editor of The Middle Tennessee Journal of History and Genealogy since 2002.

Wayne Roberts is the director of the Jefferson County Archives and County Museum, located in one of the oldest Tennessee courthouses (mid-1840s) still in use. The Archives contains numerous resources available including records of Cocke, Hamblen, and Sevier counties, as early as 1792.

Jill Jones-Lazuka is an author, genealogist, and historian with decades of leadership in local and national lineage societies. She has published multiple family histories, co-authored Civil War Stories of Morgan County, and written extensively for books, magazines, and blogs. A recipient of the NSDAR Historic Preservation Medal, Jill also speaks statewide on cemeteries, dowsing, and historic preservation, combining research with hands-on community engagement.

Ann K. Blomquist is an experienced genealogist, author of 13 books, editor of three genealogy magazines, presenter of genealogy classes and topics, and administrator for lineage certificates at the East Tennessee Historical Society. 

Lisa N. Oakley serves as the Vice President and Curator of Education for the East Tennessee Historical Society. Her current research interests lie in the histories of Black East Tennesseans during Reconstruction. 

William Isom II, a native of East Tennessee, has enjoyed a 25-plus year career in media, public history, and social justice work focused on the research and documentation of Black history in the Mountain South.

Anita Finger-Smith is a respected genealogical and historical researcher with over 20 years of experience, specializing in Southeastern Cherokee records from the pre-Removal era to the present. She is the principal genealogist for Cherokee Genealogy Services, a business licensed through the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Outside her research role, Anita is the co-owner of Bearmeat’s Indian Den, an authentic Native American art gallery located in the Wolfetown Community of the Qualla Boundary.

Patricia Bernard Ezzell served as the Tennessee Valley Authority’s resident expert regarding the history of the agency and was the primary contact person for information pertaining to TVA’s past. She is the author of several articles as well as two books on TVA history: TVA Photography: Thirty Years of Life in the Tennessee Valley and TVA Photography, 1963-2008:  Challenges and Changes in the Tennessee Valley, both published by the University Press of Mississippi.