16 March 2013

Genealogy Jamboree Speakers - John Philip Colletta, PhD, FUGA

John Philip Colletta, PhD, FUGA
johncolletta@verizon.net

Knowledgeable, entertaining and experienced, John Philip Colletta is a popular Washington, D.C.-based lecturer on topics of family history research and writing. For twenty years, while laying the foundation for his career in genealogy, he worked half-time at the Library of Congress and taught workshops at the National Archives. Today Dr. Colletta lectures nationally, teaches at local schools, and conducts programs for the Smithsonian Institution’s Resident Associate Program. He is a faculty member of the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research at Samford University (Birmingham, Ala.), the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, and Boston University’s Certificate in Family History program. His publications include numerous articles, both scholarly and popular, two manuals -- They Came in Ships: A Guide to Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor's Arrival Record and Finding Italian Roots: The Complete Guide for Americans – and one “murder-mystery-family-history,” Only a Few Bones: A True Account of the Rolling Fork Tragedy and Its Aftermath. Dr. Colletta has received many professional awards and honors and appears frequently on podcasts and local and national radio and television. His PhD in Medieval French is from The Catholic University of America. Visit www.genealogyjohn.com.

Friday 3:00pm-4:00pm          
FR010 Evidence from Material Culture: Using Artifacts in Research and Writing about Ancestors
This lecture demonstrates how to use family heirlooms—such as jewelry, a pocket watch, photographs, kitchen utensils, furniture, books, letters and diaries—and on-site inspection of ancestral places—such as gravesites and homesteads—to help portray who an ancestor was. Clues from material culture, in conjunction with oral family lore and information from written records, may reveal an ancestor's physical appearance, character, temperament, personal interests, social standing, day-to-day life, and perhaps even personal goals and motives.

Saturday 8:30am-9:30am                      
SA003 The Library of Congress: An Introduction and Overview
The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., is one of the country’s greatest repositories for genealogical research. Yet, because it is dauntingly large and requires on-site research, it tends to be underutilized. This lecture takes the mystery and trepidation out of using our national library and demonstrates the tremendous benefits of making a research trip to Washington. It sketches the institution’s history, describes the formalities for using it, and highlights—one reading room at a time—the innumerable and often unique treasures it holds. The extraordinary Web site of the Library of Congress is explored, and practical suggestions are made by someone who worked part-time at the library for twenty years.

Saturday 11:30am-12:30pm                         
SA028 Discovering the REAL Stories of Your Immigrant Ancestors
The immigrant experience was not the same for every one of the millions of English, Irish, Italians, Germans, Jews, and others who came to America. Each immigrant's story is unique. Using three 19th-century case studies, this lecture describes the original records and published materials available to discover the particular facts of your own ancestor's story. It discusses how to evaluate those facts and assemble them into a story that conveys both the drama and individuality of your ancestor's emigration/immigration experience.

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