The Historic Chattahoochee Commission, Troup County Historical Society and LaGrange College will host a special panel discussion focusing on the life and legacy of LaGrange native and celebrated historian Dr. U.B. Phillips.

Dr. John David Smith, distinguished professor of American history at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, is the featured speaker in a symposium about Phillips’ life and remarkable legacy. The program, entitled “Dr. U.B. Phillips: A LaGrange Native Shapes America’s Understanding of Slavery,” will be held 6 p.m. Nov. 8 in LaGrange College Callaway Auditorium.

The event is free to the public through the support of the Georgia Humanities Council. RSVPs are requested by calling 706-884-1828.

Phillips, regarded by many as the first major historian of American slavery, was for much of the early 20th century, the nation’s foremost historian of the South. During his career he taught at the University of Wisconsin, Tulane University, the University of Michigan and Yale University.

His seminal work exploring the institution of slavery and its influence on the development of Southern society forced a new examination of the institution that influenced generations of scholars and framed public understanding of this difficult aspect of the nation’s past.

Dr. Smith is regarded as the leading authority on Phillips’ work, and has authored two books and numerous articles on his scholarship. He recently authored an in-depth introduction to a new edition of Phillips’ classic work, “Life and Labor in the Old South,” which will be available at the event.

Other symposium panelists include Troup County historian Clark Johnson, TCHS director Kaye Minchew, HCC director Mike Bunn and LaGrange College professor Lisa Crutchfield. For more information, call TCHS at 706-884-1828.