“Route 66: The Mother Road” author Michael Wallis, Route 66 Alliance Executive Director and CEO Ken Busby and Rhys Martin, president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and National Preserve Route 66 manager with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, will preside over this month’s edition of the Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series.
The livestream — titled “Route 66: The Mother Road | Broad Perspectives on the Next 100 Years” — will be at 2 p.m. Eastern time or 11 a.m. Pacific on April 14.
Audra Bellmore, professor and endowed curator of the Meem Archives of Southwestern Architecture at the University of New Mexico, will moderate the discussion. The hosting organizations are the Oklahoma State University-Tulsa Library and the Oklahoma Historical Society.
The free registration to view it can be found here.
A synopsis of the session:
Using Michael Wallis’ seminal book as a guide, this session explores the Mother Road’s evolving role in shaping culture, community, and commerce over the next century.
Panelists will examine Route 66 through lenses including heritage preservation, tourism innovation, economic development, sustainability, and storytelling, while honoring its historic significance and enduring cultural impact.
This forward-looking conversation invites participants to consider how collaboration, creativity, and inclusive visioning can ensure the Mother Road remains relevant and resilient for future generations.
The series so far has speakers booked into October. It is an Official Route 66 Centennial Activity by the federal U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission.
(Image of Michael Wallis, Ken Busby and Rhys Martin via the Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series)