Indiana Historical Society to Host 81st Annual History Conference Thomas Hamm of Earlham College will present the Willard Heiss Memorial Lecture Indianapolis - The 1851 Constitution: Then and Now is the theme of the Indiana Historical Society's 81st annual history conference scheduled for Saturday, November 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at the Society's headquarters, 450 W. Ohio St. The conference will address the 150-year history of the Indiana constitution, including the amendments made over the years and how the constitution affects Indiana residents today. Indiana Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard will present the keynote address titled "The 1851 Constitution as Indiana's Platform for Building a Humane Industrial State." Topics of conference sessions will range from the failed efforts of Governor Thomas Marshall and Jacob Dunn Jr. to rewrite the 1851 constitution, to current and developing issues under the Indiana constitution, to how to teach the constitution in Indiana classrooms. Thomas Hamm of Earlham College and the 2001 Willard Heiss Memorial Lecturer will explore Quaker history, records and migration, including materials the Friends sent to the constitutional convention protesting the provisions excluding black migration. Registration for the conference is $25; $20 for Indiana Historical Society members. A buffet lunch will be offered for an additional $15. Registration is limited and the deadline for pre-registration is October 19. To register or to request a complete conference brochure, call (317) 233-5659 or download a conference brochure at http://www.indianahistory.org/events.php?filename=November3&dates=3. That evening the Musical Heritage Committee of the Indiana Historical Society will present "Showtime 1851," a dinner and musical performance, on November 3 at 4:30 p.m. at the IHS headquarters. The evening celebrates the 150th anniversary of the creation of the Indiana Constitution that went into effect on November 1, 1851. Strolling musicians will entertain guests during a light dinner, followed by a theater performance at 6 p.m. The entertainment will be reminiscent of the nineteenth-century entertainment provided to legislators after the ratification of the constitution. Tickets for the dinner and theater performance are $20 and must be purchased in advance by calling (317) 234-1313. Tickets for the theater performance only will be available at the door for $10. Since 1830, the Indiana Historical Society has collected, preserved, interpreted and disseminated Indiana history. The independent, nonprofit organization also publishes books and periodicals; sponsors teacher workshops; provides youth, adult and family programming; and assists local historical groups throughout the state. One of the oldest historical societies in the United States, the Indiana Historical Society has over 11,000 members, making it the second largest statewide historical society in the country. In July 1999, the Society opened its new 165,000-square-foot headquarters in downtown Indianapolis at 450 W. Ohio St. (www.indianahistory.org <http://www.indianahistory.org>). # # #