Oct. 9—The Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum will continue its October programming by hosting two upcoming special events: the 27th Annual Cotton and Rural History Conference and the first lecture presented by the Audie Murphy Chapter of the WWII History Roundtable.

The Cotton and Rural History Conference will be this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and will be free to attend (although barbecue lunches will be available for $15 each).

The conference will feature Texas State University Professor Emeritus of History Gregg Andrews as its keynote speaker.

Andrews is a prolific author who has often focused on the historical plight of America's working poor. His titles include "City of Dust: A Cement Company Town in the Land of Tom Sawyer," "Thyra J. Edwards: Black Activist in the Global Freedom Struggle," and "Shantyboats and Rustabouts: The River Poor of St. Louis, 1875-1930."

In addition to Andrews' presentation, the conference will also include a panel discussion conducted by graduate students from Texas A&M University-Commerce.

There will also be a discussion led by Laura K. Burchnell about the challenges and controversies of teaching history, and another led by Rachel Gunter about the women's suffrage movement in rural East Texas.

Later this month, on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m., Greenville's Audie Murphy Chapter of the WWII History Roundtable will present a free lecture given by Steven Taaffe — a professor of American military history at Stephen F. Austin State University — about the traits of some of America's generals who served during the war, including Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower and George S. Patton.

Titled "George Marshall's Generals: Selecting the Men Who Won WWII," Taafe's lecture will likely emphasize that, despite the name recognition of the previously mentioned three generals, Marshall was "arguably the most important United States general in the 20th Century," WWII History Roundtable Chairman Ron Robinson said, because "final approval of all generals appointed to active duty commands in both the European and Pacific theaters was his."