On Monday, April 14, at 8 p.m., Arkansas State University's Fowler Center will host the world premiere screening of the Hallmark Hall of Fame television production, "A Painted House," from the novel by best-selling author and Arkansas native John Grisham. Grisham will be present for the festivities. 

The screening, and the $1,000 per-plate dinner that precedes it, are fundraising events for ASU's program in heritage studies, a new Ph.D. program offered by the university. ASU's doctoral program in heritage studies is "a distinctive and aggressively interdisciplinary program," according to Dr. Clyde Milner, program director and professor of history. 

The program will develop heritage professionals who identify, preserve, interpret, manage, and promote regional history and culture for non-specialist public audiences. Graduates of the program will qualify for senior positions in cultural and historical agencies, cultural and historic tourism, museums and archives, parks and historic sites, and consulting firms and heritage-related businesses. 

"Our candidates enrolled in the PhD program are overwhelmingly professionals, many with established careers. Many of them commute, and some work here at ASU. We've got quite an Eastern Arkansas presence," says Milner. 17 students are currently enrolled in the program, and 25 students are expected to be enrolled by fall. "Some of our students come from a great distance, some come at night, most are professionals working at other jobs, and additional financial support for them is tremendously appreciated and needed," says Dr. C. Calvin Smith, presidential distinguished professor of heritage studies.

Smith also notes, "The premiere of the film will give the Heritage Studies program much-needed national exposure. John Grisham, who of course is nationally known, had a desire to help. The national exposure will help us attract quality students from around the country as well as from this area. The premiere also gives both Jonesboro and ASU some national exposure, and that's a win for everybody-for the city, the university, and the doctoral program." Both men credit Dr. Les Wyatt for his support of Heritage Studies and especially for John Grisham's involvement. "Dr. Wyatt really got John Grisham involved and interested, and the money from this fundraiser will go to support students in the field, as they participate in conferences, and as they attend workshops and seminars. I like to say that we're building a program that's our own painted house project-we've got 17 people in it, and it needs a roof and walls and paint, and offices and a seminar room," says Milner. 

He adds, "We also want to bring in distinguished guests as lecturers and speakers, so that our students can be exposed to the best scholarship in the country." Smith agrees. "The funds raised by the dinner and the premiere will help, because the program needs lots of things. We'll be able to provide financial support to our students; we'll be able to purchase equipment. This is an extremely important event." 

"With the premiere, we hope for $300,000 in seed money for an endowment. We plan to use this money wisely to sustain the program," says Milner. Smith adds, "We hope this will help to establish a sound financial footing for the program. The program's primary focus is the Delta region, a region that has remained largely untouched by scholarship. We've just begun to scratch the surface of the culture. We want to train people who are in public service-this program enhances their skills, as well as revealing more about the Delta." 

Milner and Smith are both grateful for Grisham's interest and involvement in the Heritage Studies program. "Grisham obviously cares about the people and the heritage of our area; he has an amazing sense of place. This sense of place, identity, and heritage is what we're all about. I say John Grisham is my new best friend, although I've yet to meet him," says Milner. For more information about the Ph. D. program in heritage studies see the website at www.clt.astate.edu/heritagestudies, or call the program's office at (870) 910-8279. # # # -- This and other releases are online at http://ASUnews.astate.edu

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