IN PERSON: Tobacco has provided Americans with a sustaining topic of conversation, both pro and con. However, in 1612, before the establishment of Colonial America, the sale of tobacco established the economic power that created a viable and solvent society, beginning in what is now Jamestown, Virginia. From that point in our history, tobacco became the economic foundation that made us who we are today. This course will explore the social, economic and cultural role tobacco has played on Earth since ancient times. We will enjoy the lectures of one or two current tobacco leaders, along with videos on the tobacco auction system and political progress in the industry. One or two field trips will be offered. | Lecture + Q&A, Facilitated discussion.
Max enrollment: 30.
Location: Judea Reform Congregation, 1933 W. Cornwallis Rd, Durham NC 27705
Billy Yeargin is the product of American tobacco culture. He grew up on a tobacco farm and in a family-owned tobacco warehouse. He has written four books on tobacco culture. A graduate of Oak Ridge Military Academy, Duke and the University of Oxford, he was the spokesman for the industry as the director of the Tobacco Growers Information Committee, and a legislative agriculture adviser to Senator Robert Morgan, North Carolina Attorney General Rufus Edmisten and North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt.