By: Nick Kieser
Here on the Volunteer State Community College campus on Oct. 22-23 Thigpen Library will be hosting a lecture on Grave-Robbing in America.
The first chance to listen to speaker Jennifer Weedman is at 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 22.
On the following day, Weedman will speak again at 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Students and those who participate and listen to the former Merrol Hyde Librarian give a lecture are welcome and according to Coordinator of Library Services, Lynda Vincent, light refreshments will be available to those who attend as well.
“We found it to be an interesting topic approaching Halloween. I think students who come will understand how things were back then, and hearing that people hired others to go rob graves,” said Vincent.
“I would most definitely be interested in going because I absolutely love history and scary stories. I want to hear the history behind this because I am unaware of it. It will probably keep me on my toes because of just hearing what it’s about,” said student Autumn Edwards.
Weedman is a part-time librarian in Thigpen and according to her, she tripped over this discovery based on studying her genealogy tree.
“I saw a picture of a man named Bud Rogan. He was a Gallatin man who died in 1905 and was the fourth tallest man in the United States. Bud is buried in the front yard of the family household, and had concrete poured over him so Vanderbilt couldn’t get to him,” said Weedman.
According to Weedman, Rogan was wanted by the doctors of Vanderbilt because they wanted to understand how a man could be the height that Rogan was when he was alive.
“The law forced doctors to hire robbers and sometimes the doctors even did this themselves. Sometimes medical students would pay their tuition in bodies. Many doctors, believe me, actually did this,” said Weedman.
“I am interested in hearing her speak as well. I have only heard her mention only a thing or two about it here and there. I think that anyone would find this interesting,” said Vincent.
“It is an odd topic, but hearing about a topic that I haven’t heard or thought about before is interesting to me,” said student Seth Griffith.
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