OLLI at UVa Special Presentation
free and open to everyone

The Great Influenza Epidemic in
Charlottesville and
Albemarle County

Date and Time: Friday, May 19 from 1:30-3:00 p.m.

Location: Unity of Charlottesville, 2825 Hydraulic Road

From the summer of 1918 to the spring of 1919 a worldwide epidemic of deadly influenza killed millions. In those few months millions of Americans caught the flu and almost 700,000 died, more than all who died in America’s wars combined (except the Civil War). The medical system was overwhelmed, and government at all levels struggled to respond. The epidemic left few families, rich or poor, untouched. When it arrived in Charlottesville-Albemarle in September 1918, the community faced a crisis as hospitals filled, doctors and nurses worked virtually around the clock, and volunteers stepped forward to care for the sick and dying. This presentation and discussion will focus on an overview of what happened nationally and on events in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Participants whose families preserved stories about the epidemic are encouraged to bring them to the discussion.

Addeane Caelleigh is a historian with special interests in social and cultural aspects of extreme events such as epidemics and natural disasters. She worked in academic publishing for many years, including serving as editor in chief of Academic Medicine. Recently retired from the faculty of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and still serving as a visiting scholar, she is currently researching the 1918-1919 Influenza Epidemic in central Virginia.

Reservations requested but not required
434-923-3600 or olliuva@virginia.edu