(COLUMBIA, Tenn. - June 19, 2014) - - - The Civil War Trust recently held their annual conference in Nashville and invited Columbia State Assistant Professor of History Thomas Flagel to give the keynote address at their annual dinner.

Flagel's talk was titled "Finding Our Collective Appomattox: The Search for Peace at the End of the American Civil War," an examination of how preserved battlefields became sites of solace for veterans and civilians searching for peace and belonging, a role that he sees continuing to this day. The presentation went so well that the Civil War Trust is having Flagel write an article for their periodical Hallowed Ground.

Two days later at the Civil War Trust's awards banquet, the trust recognized the Franklin Battlefield Preservation Commission as their Preservation Group of the Year. Flagel's Columbia State students contributed many hours to the efforts of the commission in recent years, including clearing acres of invasive brush at the Civil War Fort Granger, and creating walking paths at the recently opened Eastern Flank Battlefield Park in Franklin.

"I credit moments like these to the mindset we have at Columbia State," Flagel said. "From day one, Dr. Barry Gidcomb and Dr. Bill Andrews told me that the history department was committed to community outreach, and we have had a string of successes to show for it. This is just another example of how our work and our students' work in the classroom, archives, and local historic sites can have a national impact."

Based in Washington, D.C., the organization is dedicated to saving hallowed American battlefields. To date, the non-profit Civil War Trust has saved over 40,000 acres of hallowed Civil War land, including more than 176 acres in Franklin, Tennessee.

Photo Caption: Civil War Trust President Jim Lighthizer addresses the audience before introducing Thomas Flagel. Photo credit: Bruce Guthrie.

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee's first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, one of the largest higher education systems in the nation. For more information, please visit www.columbiastate.edu.

Tennessee's Community Colleges is a system of 13 colleges offering a high-quality, affordable, convenient and personal education to prepare students to achieve their educational and career goals in two years or less. We offer associate degree and certificate programs, workforce development programs and transfer pathways to four-year degrees. For more information, please visit us online at tncommunitycolleges.org.