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Tracing the Vanderbilt Legacy

with Dr. Elliot Engel

Dr. Engel uncovers the amazing stories of this famous American dynasty. Registration is required.

Dr. Elliot Engel returns to Carmel to share his knowledge of the Vanderbilts. Dr. Engel follows the legacy of this famous American dynasty from Cornelius, born in the 18th century, to Gloria of the designer jeans. Their triumphs and tragedies are placed in the context of family dynamics and historical influences. Using anecdotes, analysis, and large doses of humor. Professor Engel brings to life this most remarkable of fabulously wealthy families. Registration is required for this event.

About the Presenter

Originally from Indianapolis, Dr. Elliot Engel now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he has taught at the University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University, and Duke University. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at UCLA. While at UCLA, he won that university’s Outstanding Teacher Award.

Dr. Engel has written ten books published in England, Japan, Turkey, and the United States. His mini-lecture series on Charles Dickens ran on PBS television stations around the country. His articles have appeared in numerous newspapers and national magazines including Newsweek. He has lectured throughout the United States and on all the continents including Antarctica. Four plays which he has written have been produced during the last ten years. In 2009, he was inducted into the Royal Society of Arts in England for his academic work and service in promoting Charles Dickens.

For his scholarship and teaching, Dr. Engel has received North Carolina’s Adult Education Award, North Carolina State’s Alumni Professorship, and the Victorian Society’s Award of Merit. Most recently, he was named Tar Heel of the Week for his thirty years of delivering public programs in the humanities and sponsoring state and national literary contests for high school students.

Since 1980, Dr. Engel has been President of the Dickens Fellowship of North Carolina, the largest branch of this worldwide network of clubs. The sales of Dr. Engel’s books, CDs, and DVDs have raised funds for The Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital which Dickens helped found in London in 1852.

Professor Engel continues to teach outside the classroom and give literary and historical programs throughout the world.

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