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The Shoemaker book discussion and signing with author Retired Major Joe Lee Todd
November 13, 1 p.m.–3 p.m.
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In honor of Veterans Day, the Oklahoma Historical Society John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick Research Center will host a special presentation of The Shoemaker on Wednesday, November 13, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Musser Learning Lab at the Oklahoma History Center.
Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame member Retired Major Joe Lee Todd will discuss Louis Kerbel’s life and times. Todd is the author of The Shoemaker (2021, New Forums Press), a biography of Kerbel based on hours of recorded interviews.
Louis Kerbel was a Russian Jewish man born in Ukraine in 1888 in the village of Roshen. He worked as a shoemaker in Russia. Kerbel lived through unimaginable violence before coming to the United States in 1911 with only 75 cents in his pocket. In 1914, he moved to Oklahoma, where he opened a shoe shop in downtown Tulsa. Due to the violence he endured in Russia, Kerbel felt compelled to assist many African Americans during the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921 by concealing them in his shoe shop.
This is a presentation of remarkable human strength and the story of an extraordinary patriot. A book signing will be held with Todd after the program.
The program is free; however, seating is limited. Please register in advance by calling 405-522-5225 or emailing research@history.ok.gov.
