UPDATE: After 27 hours and 34 minutes, UNT history professor Andrew Torget set a new world record for longest history lesson while also raising more than $12,000 for the The Portal to Texas History.
DENTON (UNT), Texas - University of North Texas History Professor Andrew Torget is trying to become a part of history himself by securing a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Torget will begin his attempt to spend 24 hours – or more – giving the world’s longest history lesson at 9 a.m. on Aug. 24.
“It sounds a bit crazy, but the plan is to cover the entire breadth of Texas history, from cavemen up to the present, in a single nonstop lesson,” Torget said. “Our driving goal is to raise awareness and support for all the tremendous work that the UNT Libraries do in preserving historical records from the Texan past and making them freely available online.”
The public is invited to witness the lesson, which will be presented in the University Union Lyceum at 1155 Union Circle in Denton, and volunteers are needed to serve as witnesses to the potential record-breaking event. Those interested in being a volunteer or a student for the class can sign up at https://unt.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1HcRwiH3PEKD8zz. Participants do not need to be enrolled at the university.
During the event, UNT Libraries will raise funds to support The Portal to Texas History, an online resource that provides free access to rare, historical and primary source materials from or about Texas, including items from the Dallas police investigation of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.
“Donations to support Dr. Torget’s world-recording-setting attempt will all benefit the Cathy Nelson Hartman Portal to Texas History Endowment and will count as matching gifts for a challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities,” said Dreanna Belden, UNT Libraries assistant dean for external relations. “The endowment enables UNT to extend the impact of the portal by creating a permanent, sustainable source of income. An investment in The Portal to Texas History is an investment in the future of Texas.”
Donations can be made at http://support.library.unt.edu/give/texas-history.
For more information on the world record attempt, visit https://www.library.unt.edu/gwr2018.