The Story of Runnymede – The Legacy of the Houk and Talbott Families

MOUND MUSEUM LECTURE SERIES SPOTLIGHTS

Please join us as we review the history of the Runnymede estate, which began with the Dayton lawyer George W. Houk and his wife, the writer Eliza Phillips Thurston Houk. We’ll review the lives of the Houks and their family, including the noted singer and philanthropist Katherine Houk Talbott and her husband, the engineer and industrialist, Harold E. Talbott. We’ll also trace the history of Katherine’s “Runnymede Playhouse” which served as a social and entertainment center from its completion in 1927 until its conversion in 1944 into a top-secret lab that served a crucial role in the Dayton Project during development and use of the atomic bombs in World War II.

Speaker

Dr. David Schmidt completed his Ph.D at The Ohio State University and is currently Director of Undergraduate Programs in the College of Science and Mathematics at Wright State University. He is a lifelong resident of the South Dayton Area and a consulting member of the Oakwood Historical Society.