Special to the
Opelika Observer
Alan Hinds will present The Battle of Mobile Bay for OLLI’s Alabama Bicentennial Lunch and Lecture Series on Oct. 30.
The Battle of Mobile Bay occurred late in the war in August 1864. It pitted two of America’s most distinguished admirals in a dramatic duel between fleet and fortress. There was the clash of ironclads against wooden vessels, the perils of mines and of a naval squadron battling a fleet despite being outgunned 6 to 1. There was great seamanship and classic mistakes. It included both high heroism and great chivalry.
For Civil War historians, the Battle of Mobile Bay represents much more than the determined cry, “Damn the Torpedoes! Full Speed Ahead.” For Alabamians, it is the state’s most significant battle of the war. Through his battle charts and narrative, Hinds stair-steps the audience through each crucial stage of the battle.
Hinds grew up in Mobile and moved to Lee County five years ago after 35 years in Indiana. A former president of the Indianapolis Civil War Roundtable, he has given his presentation to history groups in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Ann Arbor and Purdue and DePaul universities. He has also participated in the General Lew Wallace Museum lecture series.
Hinds is an Auburn University graduate and holds an MBA degree from the University of South Florida. After retiring as a captain in the Air Force, he worked in corporate human resources, served on his city’s council and later taught business at a community college.
He has been active in OLLI since 2015.
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University (OLLI at Auburn) hosts its Alabama Bicentennial Brown Bag Lunch and Lecture Series from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities, also known as Pebble Hill, which is located at 101 S. Debardeleben St. in Auburn.
Lunch begins at 11:45 a.m. and participants should bring their own meal. Coffee, tea and water will be provided. The program begins at 12:15 p.m.
The series is made possible by a grant from the Alabama Bicentennial Commission and is cosponsored by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities. The program is open to the public at no charge.
OLLI at Auburn is a program of the Office of the Vice President for University Outreach at Auburn University. OLLI’s administrative offices and select classes are located at the historic Sunny Slope property located at 1031 S. College St.
For more information regarding this event or to learn about becoming a volunteer faculty member, volunteer service assistant or sponsor, call Shawnee McKee, OLLI Administrative Support, at 334-844-3146 email at olli@auburn.edu or visit www.olliatauburn.org, call administrative support at 334-844-3146, olli@auburn.edu or visit www.olliatauburn.org.