Program features book about Titanic experience, survival

Albert Caldwell was 26 years old when he, his wife and their 10-month-old son boarded the Titanic.
The Caldwells were on their way back to the United States after serving as missionaries in Siam (now Thailand). How they came to be aboard the Titanic, how they survived the sinking and how the ordeal affected the rest of their lives is a story told by Julie Hedgepeth Williams in her newest book, “A Rare Titanic Family: The Caldwells’ Story of Survival.”
Williams will be at the Museum of Coastal Carolina at 7 p.m. July 24 to talk about the story. Albert Caldwell, who lived to be 91 years old, was Julie Williams’ great-uncle and spoke to her often about the Titanic disaster.
Williams, assistant professor of journalism and mass communications at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., has vacationed in Ocean Isle Beach for many years. She is the author of several books, including “Wings of Opportunity,” the story of the Wright Brothers’ time in Alabama in 1910.
“I see journalism as the day-to-day record of history, and as such I believe journalism and history are intimately related. This is reflected in my writing and teaching,” Williams said.
Her book about the Titanic is available in the museum’s gift shop and there will be additional copies available for signing after her program.
Visit the Museum of Coastal Carolina at 21 East Second St. on Ocean Isle Beach. Admission is free for museum members. Non-member all-day admission, including admission to the Titanic program on July 24, is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and students, $4 for ages 3-4, and free for ages 2 and younger. For more information, call 579-1016 or visit www.MuseumPlanetarium.org.