Women on Wednesdays

JOHNSON CITY – East Tennessee State University’s Amy Steadman will discuss “Mingle with the World: Life and Work of Jessie Ackermann” in a “Women on Wednesdays” talk on Sept. 19 at noon at the Reece Museum. 

Born in 1857, Ackermann was a social reformer, missionary, feminist, journalist, author, public speaker, world traveler and Johnson City resident in the 1920s.  Her life and work are chronicled in the Reece Museum’s current exhibition, “The World Through a Woman’s Eyes,” which showcases artifacts from her eight trips around the globe, including the dress she made and wore in her audience with the Pope, her writing desk, library and personal correspondence.

Steadman’s free public talk will focus on Ackermann’s life, legacy and contributions to women.  As Ackermann’s biographer, she will share insights about the early 20^th century activist’s fascination with the study of the human condition, thoughts on cultural difference and struggle with inequities she witnessed in the U.S.

Steadman, collections manager at the Reece Museum, has 20 years of experience working in both museums and libraries.  She earned her master of arts degree in museum studies from Eastern Illinois University and her master of information science degree from the University of Tennessee.

Sponsored by ETSU’s Women’s Studies Program, the “Women on Wednesdays” series is designed to raise awareness about the research, scholarship and community engagement conducted by women at ETSU; to provide a venue where women on campus and in the community can discuss and support each other’s work; and to give students an opportunity to meet faculty who could become mentors for their studies.