Following in the Footsteps of the Wright Brothers: Their Sites and Stories
Following the Footsteps of the Wright Brothers: Their Sites and Stories was a one-day symposium held at Wright State University on September 28, 2001.
The symposium retraced the footsteps of the Wrights and examined the role that various sites - from Dayton, Ohio, to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to Europe - played in the lives of these aviation pioneers. It was designed to bring together scholars, students, enthusiasts, historians, and, educators to discuss their research and share insights into the careers and sites of significance to Wilbur and Orville Wright and the invention of powered flight.
The symposium included: an evening pre-conference reception on September 27 at Carillon Historical Park where the restored 1905 Flyer is housed in Wright Hall; an opening plenary session with NASA Historian, Roger Launius; concurrent sessions on a variety of topics related to the sites and stories of the Wright Brothers; and a reception in Special Collections and Archives in the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library where attendees viewed an exhibit of original materials from the Wright Brothers Collection and a full size replica of the 1903 Flyer in the library atrium. Wright Family members shared their stories and perspectives on the Wright legacy at the reception. On Saturday, September 29, attendees had the opportunity to take a bus tour of Wright Brothers' sites in the Miami Valley. Information gleaned from the symposium hopefully expanded attendees' knowledge and understanding of the Wright Brothers and their impact on society. The symposium served as a rich source of information and ideas for the 100th anniversary of flight.
