If you take a winery tour in France today, you are likely to hear about Denison resident Thomas Volney Munson (1843 – 1913).  Sherrie McLeRoy, co-author of Grape Man of Texas: Thomas Volney Munson and the Origins of American Viticulture, joins us this month to discuss Munson’s contribution to our body of knowledge about Texas and American grapes in general, and specifically how his work enabled him to help save the European grape and wine industry from devastating blights in the late 19th century. Though he received numerous awards from both French and American institutions for his work, his achievements were largely lost or ignored by the mid-20th century. Don’t miss this opportunity to brush up on the history of Texas wine and the man who may have saved the entire industry worldwide.

Sherrie McLeRoy is currently the archivist at the Woman’s Club of Fort Worth and is writing a new history of the Club for its 2023 Centennial. Having spent much of her career in museums, McLeRoy has since written, contributed to, or co-authored twenty-four books and numerous magazine and newspaper articles. Her latest publications are Texas Adoption Activist Edna Gladney: A Life and Legacy of Love and Texas Women First: Leading Ladies of Lone Star History, both from The History Press.

This program will be offered both in person and over Zoom. Click here to register for Zoom!