The Florida Genealogical Society is pleased to present a very special program on Saturday, 21 March 2009, at the John F. Germany Public Library in downtown Tampa.This month's program features Dr. Vernard Adams, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner, and FGS President Drew Smith presenting a program about "Unclaimed Persons." There is an epidemic in the United States of persons who die whose remains are unclaimed. County officials do not have the means or funding to locate family members, but genealogists have stepped up to help. A large group of more than 500 genealogical researchers on Facebook (at www.facebook.com) have stepped up to use their skills to help identify and locate surviving family members, many of whom have lost touch with their relatives, to help identify and find final resting places for their family members.
Tampa/Hillsborough County has benefited from the "Unclaimed Persons" initiative, and Dr. Adams and Drew Smith will talk about the problem, the progress that "Unclaimed Persons" has made, and other topics.
Dr. Vernard Adams, a native of Maine, has been Chief Medical Examiner for Hillsborough County since 1991. He graduated from the University of Maine at Orono with a B.A. in Chemistry and from Tufts University College of Medicine with a M.D. Degree. His post-graduate pathology training was at the New England Medical Center Hospital, the Mayo Clinic, and the Dade County (Florida) Medical Examiner Department. He is board-certified in anatomical, clinical and forensic pathology, and holds a faculty appointment as Associate Professor of Pathology at the University of South Florida College of Medicine.
Dr. Adams has written numerous scientific publications in the field of forensic pathology and has lectured at several medical conferences. In addition, he is an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida since 1991. Current professional associations include: American Academy of Forensic Sciences, American Medical Association, College of American Pathologists, Florida Association of Medical Examiners (President 1997-98), Florida Medical Association, Hillsborough County Medical Association, and National Association of Medical Examiners.
You do NOT want to miss this important and exciting program! The meeting will be held at 10:30 AM in the auditorium of the John F. Germany Public Library. Afterwards, please visit the genealogy collection on 2-West, one of the finest genealogical collections in the Southeastern United States.
