SYLACAUGA, Ala. – On Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018, David Alsobrook will be at the Comer Library’s SouthFirst Lecture Series to tell of his experience as the chief archivist for three presidential libraries, enabling him to be an “eyewitness to history” while getting to know four recent first families!
Alsobrook, a native of Mobile, attended Auburn University in the late 1960s, returning home to follow in his mother’s steps as a school teacher. In the early 70s, he sought a career change by furthering his education with an M.A. in history at West Virginia University followed by a Ph.D. in history and archives administration from Auburn University.
In 1977, after a stint as an archivist at the Alabama Department of Archives and History, David and his wife Ellen crammed all their worldly possessions into a small U-Haul truck and a battered 1972 Volkswagen for the long journey to Washington, D.C. to work in the National Archives. Over the next thirty years, the Alsobrooks moved four more times over long distances before returning home to Alabama in 2007.
David Alsobrook has amazing stories about assuming archival responsibility for millions of pages of hard-copy documents as well as photographs and museum artifacts for President Jimmy Carter’s library in Atlanta, Georgia; President George Bush’s library at College Station, Texas; and for President Bill Clinton’s library in Little Rock, Arkansas. Over the years, David has been asked many times by friends if the arduous task was worthwhile – and would he do it again? His answer is always “In a heartbeat.” He treasures the experience and loves sharing his story!
“You Must Remember This” – the fall Adult Brown Bag Lecture Series – is sponsored by Southfirst Bank. Refreshments begin at 11:00 a.m., and the program begins promptly at noon in the Harry I. Brown Auditorium. For more information, call (256) 249-0961 or visit www.bbcomerlibrary.net. Seating is limited, and reservations are recommended for groups.
