July 11, 2014 - In a Brown Bag Lecture on July 22 at 12 noon at the East Tennessee History Center at 601 S. Gay Street, a group of Knoxville citizens working to preserve the Freedmen's Mission Historic Cemetery, located on the Knoxville College campus, will share the history of the cemetery and tell the stories of some of the fascinating and important people interred there-including the first black doctors in this area, prominent educators, founding families, and two former slaves once owned by President Andrew Johnson.

Among the many fascinating stories unveiled is that of former Johnson slave Samuel Johnson and the cane later presented to him by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The cemetery has been referred to by various names through time, such as Knoxville College Cemetery and First United Presbyterian Church Cemetery, and was recently renamed as Freedmaen's Mission Historic Cemetery. This cemetery is one of several that will be highlighted during a Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial event to be held in Knoxville in the spring of 2015.

The program is sponsored by 21st Mortgage and is free and open to the public. The lecture will begin at noon at the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville. Guests are invited to bring a "Brown Bag" lunch and enjoy the lecture. Soft drinks will be available. For more information please call 865-215-8824 or visit the www.easttnhistory.org.