Release Date: March 10, 2005

MONMOUTH, Ill. — Neil Dahlstrom, reference archivist at Deere & Co. and a 1998 graduate of Monmouth College, will be featured at the next Monmouth Associates luncheon program on March 17 at noon in the Highlander Room in the college’s Stockdale Center.

Entitled “The Legend of John Deere,” the talk will borrow from research from Dahlstrom’s upcoming book, “The John Deere Story: A Biography of Plowmakers John and Charles Deere.” Co-authored with Jeremy Dahlstrom, the book will be published in April by Northern Illinois University Press.

Said Dahlstrom, “The origins of the John Deere legend were the brainchild of someone close to him – his son, Charles.”

Dahlstrom’s talk will analyze the complex relationship between father and son and provide an unparalleled look at two men whose contributions to agriculture are but one part of their legacy.

Following his graduation from Monmouth, Dahlstrom received a master’s degree in historical administration from Eastern Illinois University. After a stint as the chief archivist at the Space Business Archives in Alexandria, Va., Dahlstrom joined Deere & Co., where he has worked for the past three and a half years.

The program is free; a buffet lunch costs $6.50. Please call 309-457-2316 to make meal reservations.

A free shuttle van will transport passengers from downtown to all luncheons. The van will leave from the northeast quadrant of the Public Square at approximately 11:55 a.m., and will return immediately following the program. Shuttle reservations should be made by calling 309-457-2316.

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