Exhibition Discussion with Elaine Thomopoulos, Ph.D.

Greek American Pioneer Women of Illinois Book Cover2
This event is presented by Illinois Humanities grantee partner Greek Women's University Club.

Greek women pioneers faced a difficult life when they arrived in the xenetia ("strange land") from the rural farms of Greece. They did not speak English and were bewildered by crowded Chicago and the alien culture. Yet these brave, spirited women triumphed over adversity and embraced their adopted country to become exemplary citizens.

Dr. Elaine Thomopoulos will talk about the women featured in the Greek American Pioneer Women of Illinois exhibition: Georgia Bitzis Pooley, Presbytera Stella Christoulakis Petrakis, Theano Papazoglou Margaris, Venette Tomaras Askounes Ashford, and Senator Adeline J. Geo-Karis. 

The exhibition is currently on display through May 30, 2024, at the Indian Prairie Public Library.

Dr. Elaine Thomopoulos, Ph.D.

Dr. Elaine Thomopoulos, Ph.D., is a historian, writer, and artist who wrote The History of Greece. She served as managing editor of and contributor to The National Herald, a Greek American newspaper. 

Additionally, Dr. Thomopoulos co-founded the Greek-American Community Services (GACS). 

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Elaine Thomopolous 2016

This Greek American Pioneer Women of Illinois exhibition was funded, in part, by Illinois Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Illinois General Assembly, and the Charles C. Condes Trust.

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