2026 Annual Meeting Topics/Speakers Survey

Speakers/Topics Descriptions

We are working on selecting speakers for our Annual Meeting on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Please participate in this short survey so we can select a topic/speaker for this meeting.

The topics are:

1. “Montgomery Montage – 250-year Tapestry of the Time, People and Places”
Speaker: Ralph Buglass

To state the obvious, our county has undergone tremendous change over the course of its history — once overwhelmingly rural and agricultural, then increasingly suburban and now itself highly urbanized in numerous spots. To provide perspective and set the stage for the semiquincentennial, our keynote address will sketch major themes of the county’s evolution and development, lavishly illustrated by an array of vintage photos, maps and other images

2. “Herman Rabbit: The Man, The Money, The Legend and The Legacy”
Speaker: Sarah Hedlund

When eccentric Montgomery County cattle farmer and land speculator Herman Rabbitt died in 1972, part of his $2.5 million estate was found buried in milk cans on his property. The rest was part of a three-year legal battle between bickering heirs. But the story of his unlikely millions was only one of the strange and legendary tales from Rabbitt’s life still told and retold by old-timers today. Learn more about the battle for Herman’s money and other anecdotes from his unusual life.

3. “Montgomery County’s Little Known Rosenwald Schools”
Speaker: Ralph Buglass

Rosenwald schools are an inspiring chapter in the dark days of segregation. They were public schools for Black students built all over the South in the early 20th century with funding from Julius Rosenwald, sometimes called “the biggest philanthropist you’ve never heard of.” Montgomery County once had 17 Rosenwald schools. Learn about the schools’ remarkable impact and importance, along with then-and-now photos of the five buildings that survive.