For the 33rd annual meeting of the Society for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies, we invite you to Athens, Georgia, home of the University of Georgia. This year's conference will feature a plenary lecture by Serge Gruzinski, director of the Centre de Recherches sur les Mondes Americains in Paris. The pages that follow will provide information concerning Athens, the University, and conference registration.

Incorporated by an act of the General Assembly in 1785, the University of Georgia was officially established on the banks of the Oconee River in 1801, placing it among the oldest state-supported universities in America. In the 200 years since 1804, when the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences graduated its first class, the University has expanded to include thirteen schools and colleges, offering dozens of degree programs to more than 24,000 undergraduates and 7,000 graduate students.

Members attending the SSPHS meeting will be welcomed on Thursday evening with a wine and cheese reception at the Globe, a classic English pub in downtown Athens. From Friday to Sunday we will meet at the Georgia Center, an award-winning conference center located on the University campus. This newly renovated facility will host the conference's academic panels and Society meetings, as well as lunch on Friday and Saturday. The Saturday night banquet will take place at the Georgia Museum of Art, where participants will enjoy updated Southern cuisine from the caterer Gourmet to Go, as well as live local music and access to the museum's rich collections. In April the museum will feature two special exhibitions, "Landscapes of Retrospection: The Magoon Collection of British Drawings and Prints, 1739-1854," and "Portraits in the Age of Rembrandt." Conference-goers will also have the opportunity to tour the University's historic campus, object of a nationally-acclaimed plan to create green spaces and pedestrian areas, and the Botanical Gardens.

Named for the seat of learning in classical Greece, the town of Athens has developed its own distinct identity in recent decades. Athens' vibrant musical scene came to national attention with the success of bands such as the B-52's and R.E.M., and the town continues to serve as a magnet for musical talents from around the South and beyond.

Music forms an important aspect of Athens' revitalized downtown, located immediately adjacent to campus and to the hotel designated for the SSPHS. In addition to numerous concert venues and music shops, visitors to Athens will find an array of galleries and shops featuring works by area artists. The downtown area also boasts many unique restaurants and bars, offering local specialties at affordable prices.

Athens is served by two airports. Athens Ben Epps Airport, located near campus and downtown, has a daily USAir flight to Charlotte, and from there connecting flights to many cities. The Athens airport also offers car rentals through Hertz. Flights into Athens are sometimes comparable in price to flights into Atlanta, and depending on your point of origination you may choose to investigate this possibility.

Athens Ben Epps Airport (706) 613-3420

Hertz Car Rental (706) 543-5984/ 1-800 654-3131

Athens is also accessible via Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, located about 60 miles west of Athens. The Atlanta airport is served by a great many major airlines, and is the hub for Delta Airlines, which offers many direct flights to Atlanta. Six car rental agencies are available at Atlanta Hartsfield:

Alamo 1-800 327-9633 Hertz 1-800 654-3131

Avis 1-800 831-2847 National 1-800 CAR-RENT

Budget 1-800 527-0700 Thrifty 1-800 847-4389

Several shuttles and limousines offer service between Athens and the Atlanta airport:

AAA Airport Express 1-800 354-7874

AAA Airport Express departs from Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, Ground Transportation, Stall C-7, with seven departures to Athens daily. Reservations recommended. If you know that you will be arriving or departing around the same time as other travelers, you can save money by reserving a AAA van for your group. The vans, which hold up to 11 passengers, require pre-payment with a credit card at least one day in advance. Further information and a complete schedule of shuttles is available at their website: http://www.aaaairportexpress.com/Athens.htm

Alfa Taxi (se habla español) (706) 583-8882

Bulldog Limousine (706) 613-5206/ http://www.bulldoglimo.com/

If you are driving to Athens from the Atlanta airport:

I-85 North

Exit at 316 East

Take 316 East straight into Athens; it will become Broad Street in town

Holiday Inn on the right between Hull and Lumpkin Sts.

A map and further information can be found here: http://www.uga.edu/uga/travel_info.html

Further information about UGA and Athens is available on the web. The University of Georgia website features general information, maps, driving directions, and much more: http://www.uga.edu/

The Georgia Center website contains details about its conference facilities, dining options, and parking information. Please contact the Georgia Center if you would like a transcript for Continuing Education credits: http://www.gactr.uga.edu/

General information about Athens, GA: http://www.visitathensga.com/

The Society requires that all participants in its conferences must be members of the SSPHS; graduate students presenting their first paper are eligible for a complimentary membership. The Society website will include registration forms, the program of panels and events for the 2002 meeting, and details on SSPHS membership:

http://www.ukans.edu/~iberia/ssphs/ssphs_main.html

If you have outstanding requests for audio-visual equipment (slide projector, overhead projector, computer projector), please forward these to Katie Harris, Program Coordinator: hisakh@panther.gsu.edu

Questions about the conference may be directed to Ben Ehlers, UGA, Conference Organizer: behlers@arches.uga.edu

Conference registration is $75. Registration fees for the conference include the following: a wine and cheese reception at the Globe Upstairs on Thursday, 11 April; two lunches at the Georgia Center, on Friday and Saturday 12-13 April; and coffee and refreshments between morning and afternoon sessions. If you require special services, facilities, or dietary considerations (vegetarian or otherwise) please contact Barbara Marable of the Georgia Center at (706) 542-1585.

The designated hotel for the SSPHS conference is the Holiday Inn Athens, located directly across the street from north campus and downtown, and less than one mile from the Georgia Center. Shuttle service will be available between the hotel, the Georgia Center, and the Georgia Museum of Art. The Holiday Inn offers three options, all at reduced rates for SSPHS members:

Room with 2 double beds $83/ night

Room with 1 queen bed $83/ night

Deluxe room with 1 king bed $93/ night

The deluxe rooms include a continental breakfast. Breakfast can also be purchased at the hotel or at the Georgia Center's coffee shop. This block of rooms will be held at this rate, plus tax, until 5 p.m. on 21 March 2002, and all reservations must be made through the Georgia Center. A credit card is required to guarantee your reservation, and your card will be charged for one night's lodging if you do not cancel by 4 p.m. 24 hours prior to your arrival date.

Please send registration information by 15 March 2002 directly to the Georgia Center, by mail, phone, or FAX. The cancellation date is 1 April 2002.

SSPHS Annual Meeting, Conference #45019

Georgia Center for Continuing Education

The University of Georgia

Athens, GA 30602-3603

Phone: (706) 542-2134 or 1-800 884-1381

FAX: (706) 542-6596 or 1-800 884-1419

Name ____________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip ______________________________________________________

Telephone/ FAX ______________________________________________________

E-mail ______________________________________________________

Position, Institution ______________________________________________________

Conference registration ............................................. $75 __________________

Saturday banquet registration .................................. $30 __________________

Total __________________

Hotel: Please indicate number of nights.

Double ... $83 __________________

Queen ..... $83 __________________

King ........ $93 __________________

Smoking ____ Non-smoking ____

Arrival day/ date _____________ Departure day/ date __________________

Name of roommate for shared room _________________________________________

Note that the Georgia Center does not assign roommates.

Mastercard ____ Visa ____ American Express ____ Discover ____

Card # __________________________________ Expires ____

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