Join us for the 2025-2026 season!

All talks are held in the Tempe History Museum's Community Room at 11:30 a.m. on the second Wednesday of the month.

Researching Ancestors in Louisiana: Who are my Grandmother's People by Black Family Genealogy and History Society
11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, February 11

This presentation highlights a granddaughter’s efforts to put the puzzle pieces of her maternal grandmother’s family in order, using oral history, photographs, sacramental records of the Catholic Church, vital records, and more. The Black Family Genealogy and History Society (BFGHS) is an educational, inclusive organization dedicated to encouraging interest in family history and genealogical research, especially within African American communities. BFGHS promotes ethical research practices, provides guidance on preserving historical documents, and welcomes people of all ethnicities and cultures to participate fully in its activities.

Grácia Liliana Fernández: the Bilingual Heroine Who Made the Tempe Normal School Famous by Dr. Chris Marin
11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, March 11

When Tempe Normal School was established in 1886, it had no Spanish curriculum nor a bilingual professor to teach Spanish to enrolled TNS students, despite the demand to train bilingual teachers to educate Spanish-speaking pupils in Arizona’s elementary schools. They were taught by white teachers who didn’t speak nor understand Spanish. Spanish-speaking children continued to fail and progress in their education. Twenty-one years later, Bilingual Education was born at TNS in 1907.  Dr. Christine Marin, Historian/Archivist and Professor Emeriti at ASU, is the founder and director of the Chicano/a  Research Collection and Archives at the Hayden Library at ASU. Dr. Marin is President of the Tempe History Society and is a native of Globe, Arizona and grew up on the legendary street, Euclid Avenue.

Three Bedrooms and a Carport by Scott Solliday
11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, April 8

In the late 1940s, America’s postwar boom brought prosperity, which generally meant a new house and a new car for middle class families. This changed everything, here and across the country. New neighborhoods and roads quickly spread out from Tempe in every direction. Look around! Half of Tempe still showcases the new modern mid-century architecture of that time, the Ranch style house. Learn the secrets of how a basic box with smooth lines and simple details became America’s favorite house. Scott Solliday is currently Senior Cultural Resource Specialist (historian and archaeologist) at HDR Engineering but once was a curator at the Tempe History Museum.

The Valley’s Victorian Jewel: The Evolving Story of Petersen House and Tempe by Josh Roffler
11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, May 13

Tempe’s Petersen House has been a local icon since it’s construction as a farmhouse in 1892. Come learn about the various eras of this fascinating home and how it fits into the larger history of our region.

Josh Roffler is the Manager of Tempe History Museum. He began his museum career as the onsite staff at Petersen House and has spent countless hours soaking up the history and atmosphere of this very special property.  

Past Lunch Talks

Samuel Brown and Tempe’s Mexican and American Frontier Heritage by Dr. Pete Dimas

Samuel Brown (1852-1937) is an influential bilingual-bicultural Mexican American politician and long-time Tempe Schools leader in the late 1890s. During his 25-year Presidency of the nationally known civil-rights organization, the Alianza Hispano Americana, with roots in Tempe, Samuel Brown fought against the segregation and racial discrimination of Mexicanos in the Northern frontier of Arizona. Dr. Pete Dimas, former History Professor at Phoenix College, is producer and director of the documentary series “Arizona’s Mexican Heritage: An American Story.”

Cinema’s Impact on Día de los Muertos Traditions by Dr. Mathew Sandoval

Mexican, US, and European filmmakers have depicted Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in movies for nearly a hundred years. These cinematic representations have deeply impacted the way this long-standing cultural tradition is celebrated by communities on both sides of the US-Mexico border.  Dr. Sandoval will explain how movies have affected local Día de los Muertos celebrations in the Valley.  Dr. Mathew Sandoval is an award-winning scholar and teacher at ASU’s Barrett the Honors College.  His work on Day of the Dead has been featured on PBS, NBC Today Show, NPR, Washington Post, LA Times, and Arizona Republic.

Where is South Phoenix: In Four Stories by Dr. Summer Cherland

Using archival research, oral history, and community surveys, Professor Cherland explores the geographical and historic boundaries of South Phoenix history from Territorial Arizona to the contemporary period and explains how political and social histories continue to shape perceptions of South Phoenix. The talk emphasizes the contributions of student-researchers affiliated with the South Phoenix Oral History Project at South Mountain Community College. Dr. Summer Cherland, Historian at South Mountain Community College, teaches courses on the history of racial/ethnic minorities of Arizona. She directs the South Phoenix Oral History Project, a student-led initiative to capture, document and preserve the history of South Phoenix.

Tempe's Enigmatic Danelle Plaza by Rob Moore

Danelle Plaza's unique disposition represents a local cultural nexus to some and an obstruction to progress to others. By exploring this mid-century retail center's creation and evolution, we better understand how one of Tempe's most 'enigmatic' places came to be so controversial while also playing a critical role in nurturing the community's local art, live music and small business scene. Rob Moore is a resident and small business owner in Tempe. Moore coordinates 'The Danelle Project' as a community effort to both support and build awareness about the plaza's historic and ongoing cultural, social economic contributions while advocating for a redevelopment solution that embraces its local identity and community assets.

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