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Lydia Hamessley, the Eugene M. Tobin Distinguished Professor of Music, recently contributed an essay to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry website.

The July-September issue of The Nashville Musician features a review of Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton by Professor of Music Lydia Hamessley. The book was published last year by the University of Illinois Press.

President David Wippman recently announced the appointment of four Hamilton faculty members to endowed chairs. All will be effective July 1, 2021. Tina Hall was appointed the Christian A. Johnson Professor of Teaching Excellence; Lydia Hamessley was awarded the Eugene R. Tobin Distinguished Professorship; Doran Larson was named the Edward North Chair of Greek and Greek Literature; and Quincy Newell was appointed the Walcott-Bartlett Chair of Ethics and Christian Evidences.

Dean of Faculty Suzanne Keen recognized 10 faculty members with Dean’s Scholarly Achievement Awards in three categories at the May 19 faculty meeting.

For the past month, Professor of Music Lydia Hamessley has been hitting the virtual road to talk about her book, Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton, published last fall by the University of Illinois Press.

Major national and regional news organizations regularly interview Hamilton faculty, staff, and students for their expertise and perspectives on current events, and to feature programs and activities on campus.

Professor of Music Lydia Hamessley was a panelist for the Old-Time Music in the 21st Century Unconference sponsored by the Center for Popular Music at Middle Tennessee State University.

“A radiant entertainer finally gets her due as a composer and lyricist—and champion of resilience amid troubles.” Thus began a review in The Wall Street Journal of three books about Dolly Parton, including Professor of Music Lydia Hamessley’s Unlikely Angel – The Songs of Dolly Parton.

A clawhammer banjo player and a scholar of Appalachian old-time and bluegrass music that focuses on women, Professor of Music Lydia Hamessley was the natural choice to write Unlikely Angel – The Songs of Dolly Parton.

Professor of Music Lydia Hamessley was recently featured in Biography: Dolly Parton, a 90-minute documentary that aired earlier this month on A&E.