BLACKSBURG, Aug. 31, 2001-- James I. Robertson Jr., historical consultant for the movie Gods & Generals, now being shot in Lexington, Va., and executive director of Virginia Tech's Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, will be the featured speaker at a social and dinner at the Nansemond-Suffolk Academy Cafetorium on Monday, Oct. 8.

The event, sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association Peanut Chapter to raise money for its scholarship fund, is open to the public by reservation. The noted Civil War author will sign books, beginning at 6 p.m.

Robertson, the Alumni Distinguished Professor of History at Virginia Tech and the Commonwealth of Virginia's Man of the Year in 2000, has been a well known figure in Civil War history for more than four decades. In the early 1960s, President John F. Kennedy tapped him to direct the national four-year commemoration of the war, and his books on various war generals, common soldiers, and other aspects of the period have garnered numerous awards, including two nominations for the Pulitzer.

In recent years, Robertson has collaborated with internationally noted Civil War artist Mort Künstler on two books, The Confederate Spirit and Jackson & Lee: Legends in Gray. But Robertson's biography of Stonewall Jackson, entitled Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The Legend, is, perhaps, the most famous of all his works. Hailed by critics as the definitive work on the famous general, the book was the main selection of two major book clubs and won a unprecedented eight national awards. It also is currently serving as the source of actor Steven Lange's portrayal of Jackson in Gods and Generals.

Robertson also has a regular show on public radio, which is broadcast as far away as Nome, Alaska, and frequently appears on public television. He organizes two Civil War events each year that draw participants from across the nation: Virginia Tech Civil War Weekend and Campaigning with Lee. And he has taught a Civil War history class at Virginia Tech that has attracted more than 300 students per semester, making it one of, if not the largest, Civil War class in the country.

Robertson's work has drawn commendations from the governors of four states, and the native of Danville, Va., has received countless awards from Civil War roundtables throughout the country and numerous awards for his writing and presentations.

The Civil War center Robertson heads was created by the university in 1999 to take advantage of his reputation and one of the country's leading collections of Civil War books, manuscripts, and memorabilia in the university's library. Among the projects under his guidance, the center secured a grant to produce two videos on West Virginia as a Child of the Civil War, which will be distributed to every public school and library in West Virginia this fall. It also secured funding to hold the nation's first-ever Civil War Medical Symposium, which awarded continuing medical education credits to over 150 physicians who attended from five states.

Persons wanting to attend the book-signing, social, dinner, and lecture on Oct. 8 should contact Chris Davis at chris.davis@painewebber.com or 757/624-2174. Cost of the event is $20 for adults and $15 for students.