Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


If you ask most everyone in Michigan, they know the name of the ship Edmund Fitzgerald.

As the 50th anniversary of its tragic sinking approaches, the Brighton District Library is inviting the public on Wednesday, October 15th from 7 to 8pm to commemorate and learn more of the tale.

The Edmund Fitzgerald freighter sank during a Lake Superior storm on November 10th, 1975. Although there have been many ships that have sunk on the Great Lakes, the Fitzgerald is probably the most famous.

The presentation by Bill Sproule "will explore the history of the Edmund Fitzgerald, its sinking, Canadian Gordon Lightfoot’s memorable song, and the fascinating connection to baseball".

Sproule has over forty years of experience in university teaching and government service in the United States and Canada. He is a Professor Emeritus from his alma mater, Michigan Tech. He also received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University. In his career, he conducted research in transportation engineering, public transit, airport planning, and hockey history.

Sproule has written three books: Houghton- the Birthplace of Professional Hockey; Michigan Tech Hockey - 100 Years of Memories; Michigan Tech Football: The First 100 Seasons. The Library encourages people to “Join us in welcoming Mr. Sproule as he teaches us the tragic history of the Edmund Fitzgerald as you’ve never seen before”.

Registration for the program is ongoing. That link is provided or call 810-229-6571 for more information.

An event flyer is attached.