NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee State Library & Archives’ second free TN225 Lunchtime Speaker Series event, with Dr. Timothy Johnson discussing how Tennessee earned the Volunteer State nickname, is tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 5, from noon to 1 p.m.

“Although the Volunteer State was officially adopted as our state’s nickname just last year, the nickname has a long and proud history,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “I encourage anyone who wants to know more about the history of the Volunteer State to take advantage of this opportunity and spend your lunch hour with us either in person or through the livestream.”

Dr. Johnson, the guest presenter, has authored or edited two dozen articles and eight books that deal primarily with the Mexican-American War and other military conflicts that occurred before the U.S. Civil War. He is on the history faculty at Lipscomb University, where he received the Outstanding Teacher Award and was designated as a University Research Professor. He has been a research fellow at Yale University and the Virginia Historical Society and has appeared on C-SPAN, The History Channel and Public Television. A native of Chattanooga, Johnson received his Ph.D. from The University of Alabama.

“We are looking forward to hosting our second Lunchtime Speaker Series event celebrating Tennessee’s 225th anniversary of statehood this Friday,” said Chuck Sherrill, Tennessee State Librarian and Archivist. We are fortunate to have Dr. Johnson, one of the leading authorities on our state’s military history, as our guest presenter.”

This Lunchtime Speaker Series event will be in person and live-streamed on the Library & Archives’ Facebook page and the Secretary of State’s YouTube channel. In-person attendees are welcome to bring their lunch. This event is free to the public. To make a reservation to attend in person, visit bit.ly/TN225VS. In-person seating is limited.

The Library & Archives is located at 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way North on Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. Parking is available for guests in the Library & Archives garage on Jackson Street/Junior Gilliam Way.

After the presentation, in-person attendees can view items related to Tennessee’s military service from the Library & Archives’ collections and take a guided tour of the new state-of-the-art facility.

To attend the Lunchtime Speaker Series in person, reserve your spot at visit bit.ly/TN225VS. To learn more about the Library and Archives or schedule a research visit, call 615-741-2764, email ask@tsla.libanswers.com or visit sos.tn.gov/tsla/plan-your-visit.