Lunch & Learn with Ben Sperry Presents:

"Mr. Delta": Walter Sillers Jr. and Political Power in a Time of Change, 1944-1966 At a "Lunch and Learn" event on Thursday, March 3, Dr. Benjamin O. Sperry will discuss his research on Walter Sillers Jr. (1888-1966), the Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives for 22 years and a force in state politics for half a century. Sillers, of Rosedale, was a key supporter of Delta State in the legislature and led the House during the peak period of the civil rights struggle in Mississippi. Dr. Sperry spent the 2009-2010 academic year at Delta State as a visiting professor of history. He currently teaches history at Cleveland State University in Ohio.