The Monteagle Sunday School Assembly in Monteagle announces its 144th consecutive summer season of enrichment beginning Sunday, June 7 and continuing through Sunday, Aug. 2, featuring numerous visiting lecturers who will present morning and evening programs that are open free of charge to the public; unless otherwise noted, morning lectures begin at 10:45 a.m. (Warren Chapel) and evening lectures at 7:45 p.m. (Auditorium). Anyone interested in a full schedule of the Monteagle Assembly’s 2026 program is welcome to pick one up at the Assembly Office (tel. (931) 924-2286), or to peruse the schedule on the Assembly’s website at <MonteagleSundaySchoolAssembly.org>.

Journalist and historian Marc Leepson will present two lectures on Thursday grounded in history. In the morning, join Leepson as he shares The Unlikely War Hero, about Doug Hegdahl’s Vietnam War POW story. Hegdahl fell off his U.S. Navy cruiser in the Gulf of Tonkin on April 6, 1967. At just 20 years old, he spent nearly four hours in the water before being picked up by a small fishing boat and taken to a Vietnamese prison called the “Hanoi Hilton” by its prisoners. He fooled his captors by playing dumb, leading them to call him “The Incredibly Stupid One.” As the youngest and lowest-ranking American POW captured in Vietnam, his story is a fascinating tale of resilience and patriotic service. A book sale and signing will follow the lecture.

Thursday evening, Leepson will lecture about The Marquis de Lafayette: The Hero of Two Worlds, based on Leepson’s book, “Lafayette: Lessons in Leadership from the Idealist General,” which is part of the World Generals Series. Lafayette is seen as an icon of both American and French history. He traveled to the U.S. colonies to fight in the Revolutionary War at the age of 19. Lafayette was critical in convincing the French government to provide financial and military support to the Americans. He also served as commander of the National Guard during the French Revolution. A book sale and signing will also follow the evening lecture.

Friday morning’s lecture will continue the theme of history but closer to our home with a lecture from Emily Senefeld on “We Shall Not Be Moved: The Highlander Folk School, 1932-1961.” Senefeld is a Sewanee alumna (C’05) and a native of Columbia, Tenn., where she teaches history at Columbia State Community College. She earned a master’s degree in history from the University of Virginia in 2010, where she focused her studies on the civil rights movement, labor history, and modern U.S. history.

Saturday evening, we welcome the community to enjoy a Jazz Picnic with Art Four Sale Band on the MSSA Mall. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy music from 5:30-8:15 p.m.

Additional events in the week ahead include the following:

Monday, June 8, 6 p.m., Mall Gazebo — The Final Crossings Gospel Band performs spiritual music. Bring a camp chair or picnic blanket.

Tuesday, June 9, 10:45 a.m., Warren Chapel — Marcus Murphy lectures on the Soong Sisters and Their Summer at the Assembly.

Tuesday, June 9, 2:30-4 p.m., Pulliam Center — Mei-Yin Hung and Bill Coryer lead a workshop: Support Your Health and Well-Being Through Energy Healing with Reiki. Advance registration required as space is limited; gate ticket required; $20 workshop fee.

Wednesday, June 10, 10:45 am, Warren Chapel — Eric Ross lectures on Living with Antiques in a Modern World. Note schedule change from printed program. Stephanie Sabbe will lecture on July 22.

Wednesday, June 10, 3 p.m., Harton Hall — Chloe Fort shares a talk/cooking demonstration on porch parties.

Thursday, June 11, 2:30-4:30 p.m., Shady Dell — Colby Henderson-Black leads a workshop: Decoupage Chicken. Advance registration required as space is limited; gate ticket required each day; no fee.

Friday, June 12, 2:30 p.m., Warren Chapel — Walter R. Green, Jr., reads from his book, “My Enemy, a book about Civil War life in occupied Franklin, Tennessee.” Book sale and signing to follow.

The Mission of the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly is to be a welcoming community of Christian faith where people gather to engage in spiritual growth and renewal, lifelong inquiry and learning, recreational, and cultural enrichment, while being good stewards of our natural resources and our Assembly heritage.