The Indianapolis Public Library Welcomes New York Times Bestselling Author and Pulitzer Prize-winning Reporter Timothy Egan to the 2025 Marian McFadden Lecture

The Indianapolis Public Library is bringing New York Times Bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Timothy Egan to the 46th Annual Marian McFadden Memorial Lecture. This event will take place at the Madam Walker Legacy Center, 617 Indiana Ave., on March 20 at 7 p.m. Egan will be available after the lecture for a book signing.

Tickets are free but extremely limited and will be available to the public beginning Friday, March 7 at 5 p.m., while supplies last. Those who wish to attend can sign up for tickets at indypl.org/mcfadden. This event will be recorded and available to watch on The Indianapolis Public Library’s YouTube channel for up to a week following the event. Attendees of the lecture will also receive a code for a free ticket to attend the Indiana Historical Society’s “RESIST!” exhibit through April 30, 2025.

Egan is an acclaimed chronicler of the American experience whose interest's range across history and landscape, and into the spiritual realm. His most recent book, "A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them,” tells the true story of a murderous conman, the Klan’s rise to power in Indiana in the 1920s, and the woman who led to their downfall.

“The year 2025 marks 100 years since the events at the center of ‘A Fever in the Heartland,’” said Katelyn Coyne, adult services area resource manager at The Indianapolis Public Library. “Egan’s lecture is a timely opportunity to reflect on a horrible part of local history."

The Marian McFadden Memorial Lecture began in 1978 after a donation from the McFadden Estate was gifted to the Library Foundation. McFadden, who was the Director of Public Libraries from 1945-1956, dedicated her life and career to expanding community connections all over Indianapolis. The annual lecture is held in her honor to celebrate authors whose stories have shaped minds and promoted imagination.

In addition to the lecture, The Indianapolis Public Library is partnering with local civic organizations to reflect on the 1925 trial of D.C. Stephenson, a KKK leader convicted of rape and murder. Events such as the “RESIST!” traveling exhibit, a Women’s History Walking Tour of Irvington, this year’s Marian McFadden Memorial Lecture, and others will be taking place throughout the year to explore how this historical event has impacted generations. Learn more at indypl.org/stephenson-trial.

This event is made possible by Friends of the Library through gifts to The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation.