Erik Larson is a master of narrative non-fiction. His vividly written books have won several awards and been published worldwide. “Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania,” about the 1915 sinking of the ocean liner Lusitania, was No. 1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. “In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin” is a vivid portrait of the American ambassador and his family in Berlin during the first years of Hitler’s reign from which Larson has crafted a gripping, deeply intimate narrative. His critically acclaimed book “The Devil in the White City” intertwines the stories of the Chicago 1893 World’s Fair and one of America’s worst serial killers. It remained on the New York Times best-seller lists for a combined total of more than six years, won an Edgar Award for nonfiction crime writing, was nominated for the National Book Award, and was voted one of the 125 most important books of the last 125 years by the New York Public Library.
Erik Larson graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied Russian history, language and culture. He also received a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. After a brief stint at the Bucks County Courier Times, Larson became a staff writer for The Wall Street Journal, and later a contributing writer for Time magazine. He has written articles for The Atlantic, Harper’s, The New Yorker, and other publications.
Distinguished Speaker Series events, held every three years, are fundraisers for the History Center.

Samantha Dorm, a grant writer, a reluctant historian, and one of the driving forces behind the Friends of Lebanon Cemetery (FOLC). Created in December of 2020, FOLC works to honor the early African-American community members of York County by remembering their legacies & sharing their stories. Through volunteer efforts, Friends of Lebanon Cemetery serves to uncover the rich history of York County’s African-American burial grounds by researching, identifying, and documenting the people interred in the cemetery, linking familial ties, preserving and restoring not just their locations, but their stories.  Even in death, there was segregation.

Founded in 1872, Lebanon Cemetery, located at 1412 North George Street,  is the final resting place for remains of more than 3,500 African Americans. This includes Abolitionist, Underground Railroad Conductors, Civil War Soldiers, Buffalo Soldiers, Tuskegee Airmen, Artists, Educators, Religious Leaders, Physicians, and more…all together based on the color of their skin.

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This 45 min presentation will spotlight the USCT who are interred at Lebanon Cemetery.