Indiana State University Newsroom

Eight hundred years after King John met his match at Runnymede, a band of medieval historians will gather on Oct. 9-10 to convene the 54th annual Midwest Medieval History Conference at Indiana State University.

Attracting scholars from across the region, the event to be held in the Magna Carta Room of Federal Hall will feature research presentations on a variety of topics and even a live performance of medieval music.

"I'm very excited to bring the MMHC to campus for the first time," said conference host Steven Stofferahn, associate professor of history and the organization's president. "Members come from near and far and from all kinds of institutions. This is a great opportunity to introduce them to ISU. The Magna Carta Room is just the perfect venue and ought to make for one of the group's most memorable gatherings."

Graduate student papers on Friday afternoon will give way to presentations by professors on Saturday, including a keynote address by Richard Helmholz of the University of Chicago Law School, a leading authority on Magna Carta and medieval jurisprudence.

"One of the great things about regional conferences is that emerging and established scholars have the opportunity to interact on a meaningful level," Stofferahn said. "Sharing ideas about research and teaching with really good people in your field can be very energizing."

Attendees will also have the chance to hear music from ages past. Thanks to support from the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Music and the department of history, an ensemble from Indiana University's Historical Performance Institute will give a special performance at 4 p.m. Saturday at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. The concert is free and open to the public.

Faculty, staff, students and community members with an interest in the Middle Ages are encouraged to attend the entire conference. Program and registration details ($120 regular, $75 student) may be found at http://mmhc.slu.edu. Online registration ends Oct. 2.

"Medieval history is a vibrant field of research. Scholars are always making new discoveries," Stofferahn said. "A conference like this one is a great place to share them."

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Contact: Steven Stofferahn, Associate Professor, Department of History, Indiana State University, 812-237-2721 or Steven.Stofferahn@indstate.edu

Media Contact: Mallory Eherenman, media relations assistant, Office of Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3773 or meherenman@sycamores.indstate.edu