The public is invited to a book talk by Sam Hendrix, author of The Cary Legacy: Dr. Charles Allen Cary, Father of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn and in the South, on Tuesday, February 5 at 4 p.m. at the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities at Pebble Hill.

The Cary Legacy chronicles the pioneering career of Auburn University’s first veterinary dean, Charles Allen Cary. An Iowa native, Cary came to Auburn as a member of the faculty at what then was the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama. Over his 43-year career, he launched a veterinary science program that became the first degree-granting veterinary college in the South. He became its founding dean and, in addition to developing a robust and productive veterinary medicine program, he helped pioneer numerous programs in the realm of public health, such as meat and milk inspections, that helped to save human and animal lives and contributed to the wellbeing and health of the economies of the state of Alabama and the South.

Sam Hendrix is an Auburn resident and former College of Veterinary Medicine director of development. The College of Veterinary Medicine debuted the Cary biography at its October Annual Conference via Montgomery publisher The Donnell Group.

Sidney James Nakhjavan, Executive Director of the Cary Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies & Women's Philanthropy Board, will introduce the program.

The event is free, open to the public, and will be followed by refreshments. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

The Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities at Pebble Hill is located at 101 S. Debardeleben Street, Auburn. For more information on the program, call 334-844-4903 or visit www.auburn.edu/cah.