The Millersville Area Historical Society (MAHS) invites the public to a presentation on "Meet Thaddeus Stevens, the Greatest Unknown Person in American History" when it meets at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 14, in Millersville's Municipal Center, 100 Municipal Drive. Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. and lock at 9:15 a.m.

Portraying Stevens will be Ross Hetrick, president and founder of the Thaddeus Stevens Society (TSS), an organization that supports the restoration and preservation of sites related to Stevens. Among these sites are Lancaster's Schreiner-Concord Cemetery, where Stevens is buried, and his Lancaster law office and home that is being refurbished by LancasterHistory. TSS' recent celebration of the congressman's 230th birthday featured the dedication of a Stevens statue in Gettysburg.

Stevens was an important legislator during and after the Civil War and a champion of freedom and equality. Hetrick, in his portrayal, will explore the congressman's relations with Presidents Buchanan, Lincoln and Johnson and the effects of his excluding ex-Confederates from Congress on Dec. 4, 1865. During his tenure, Stevens persuaded Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation and was instrumental in passing the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. He is also known as the father of the 14th Amendment, which requires equal treatment under the law and extends the protections of the Bill of Rights to the state level. Stevens also spearheaded the impeachment of President Johnson and was an architect of Reconstruction.

Hetrick, a Virginia native and business reporter for major Virginia and Maryland newspapers for 20 years, moved to Gettysburg in 1995 and operated Ross's Coffeehouse and Eatery until 2004. He then held a variety of positions before dedicating himself full time, in 2018, to the legacy of Stevens. A graduate of the University of Virginia, he writes a monthly column called the Thaddeus Stevens Chronicles.

Books and memorabilia related to Stevens will be available at the meeting.

Admission is free, although donations will be accepted. For more information, contact Phil Gerber at 717-872-8837 before 5 p.m. or at pge8507@aol.com.