Several historians will hold a panel discussion here this Saturday evening, May 3, on "Understanding Andrew Johnson in Today's History."

The panel discussion will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at the General Morgan Inn.

The panel will include: Dr. Andrew Slap, from East Tennessee State University; Dr. Benjamin Hufbauer, from the University of Louisville; and Dr. Leigh Fought, from Montgomery College.

The three scholars are being hosted this week by the National Park Service in cooperation with the Organization of American Historians.

They are visiting the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site to reflect on new scholarly perspectives that are related to Andrew Johnson's life and times.

Among the issues they are expected to discuss are how historians currently understand or define Andrew Johnson, placing him into context of the time in which he lived and what important themes in American history are represented during his lifetime at the historic site.

Superintendent Lizzie Watts, superintendent of the Andrew Johnson Historic Site, said in a press release that the visit by the scholars "coincides with the bicentennial celebration of Andrew Johnson's birth, providing a wonderful opportunity to evaluate the existing educational programming offered by the site and to discover new materials and insights."

The public is encouraged to attend, and to ask questions of the panel. Refreshments will be served. No advanced reservations are required.

For more information, call 639-3711.