Originally Posted: September 13, 2016
Skip Hollandsworth, Texas Monthly journalist and author of “The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America’s First Serial Killer”, kicked off the six-part, lunchtime lecture series, hosted by the Clements Center for Southwest Studies on Wednesday. Beginning at 1:00 p.m. in Hyer Hall, students, faculty, and guests were invited to attend the presentation followed by a short question and answer session and book signing.
Presenting to a room of approximately 50 attendees, Hollandsworth walked the audience through a timeline of events highlighted in his book that surrounded a mysterious string of gruesome murders that occurred in Austin, TX in 1885.
Through use of vivid language and photographs, Hollandsworth painted a picture of what Austin, TX looked like during the 1800s as technological advances began to emerge.
“Austin was transforming from a sepia-toned old west town into a new age. The phrase ‘everything is bigger in Texas’ existed even at that time,” Hollandsworth said as the crowd chuckled.
The lecture attracted people of all ages as Hollandsworth warmed the room with his passion for crime and unsolved mysteries.
Tommie Ethington, who attended the lecture after reading Hollandsworth’s book said, “I was fascinated by learning about the history of Austin. You learn so much about the city in addition to the murders.”
The Center for Southwest Studies puts on public programming each year, beginning with the lunchtime series, in an effort to promote their own research fellows and to engage a broad public interest.
“I have worked with Skip on a couple of events in the past and I thought his book would be a great way to begin the year,” said Andrew Graybill, co-director of Clements Center for Southwest Studies. READ MORE