A Northern Essex Community College White Fund lecture featuring the history of the development of Lawrence is being held on Thursday, September 25 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Lawrence High School, Performing Arts Center, 70-71 North Parish Road, Lawrence.

During the lecture, “Lawrence and New Beginnings”, Susan Grabski and Mike Hearn will tell the story, along with visuals, of how Lawrence came to be a great center of industry.

This event, which is free and open to the public, will give people an understanding of how Lawrence grew from the “New City on the Merrimack” to the “Immigrant City”. Grabski will present an overview of Lawrence history. Hearn will focus on the Essex Company’s roles in the development of Lawrence.

Grabski, executive director of The Lawrence History Center, is a native of Andover now living in Haverhill. She has a degree in art history from UMass Lowell. Grabski has been a board member and treasurer of the Lawrence History Center since 2010.

Hearn, director of library services at Northern Essex Community College, is the author of the soon to be published historical non-fiction, “The History of The Essex Company”. As the former archivist of the Lawrence History Center, he has extensive knowledge of Lawrence’s history and will present this information in the lecture. The Nashua NH resident holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Washington College and a Master of Library Science from University of South Carolina.

For additional information on this lecture, contact Martha Leavitt,director, campus operations & procurement– Lawrence Campus at mleavitt@necc.mass.edu. The White Fund’s purpose is to have a free series of interactive presentations for Lawrence-area adults, youth, and children. The audience is encouraged to seek wisdom, cultural enrichment, and intellectual enhancement by attending and participating.

Funded by a generous financial gift from the Honorable Daniel Appleton White, the White Fund Lecture Series has provided cultural conversation featuring well-known lecturers in fields such as history, literature, travel, the arts, and politics. The White Fund is collaborating with Northern Essex on this series.

For additional information or to be notified of upcoming events in the White Fund Enlightenment Series, call 978-738-7403 or visit www.necc.mass.edu/whitefund.

The views expressed in the White Fund Enlightenment Series Presentations are the views of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Northern Essex Community College.