His name is part of the Northern Kentucky landscape, crossed by thousands of drivers every day. And now, with major construction underway around the Brent Spence Bridge corridor, that name may be more visible than ever.
But who was Brent Spence?
Long before his name was attached to one of the region’s most recognizable landmarks, Spence was a Newport native who spent more than three decades representing Northern Kentucky in Congress and whose influence reached far beyond the region.
Public Library)
Local historian Karl Lietzenmayer will introduce viewers to “Congressman Brent Spence: His Family and His Legacy” during the next NKY History Hour, presented virtually by Behringer-Crawford Museum, on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 6:30 p.m.
A Fort Mitchell native, Lietzenmayer holds an BA degree in chemistry from Thomas More University and an MEd from Xavier University with a concentration in Asian history. After teaching high school for five years, he spent much of his career as a quality control chemist and supervisor for the Andrew Jergens Company in Cincinnati. He also served as the music director at Mother of God Church in Covington, KY.
He joined the Kenton County Historical Society in 1991 and later became a board member. In 1992, he began Northern Kentucky Heritage, a regional history magazine that has been published twice each year ever since. He has researched and written extensively about Northern Kentucky history and developed many of his articles into presentations for local audiences.
In 2017, Lietzenmayer received Behringer-Crawford Museum’s Two-Headed Calf Award for his contributions to Kentucky history, followed in 2018 by a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kentucky Historical Society. He continues to serve on the Kenton County Historical Society board and write about the people, places and events that shaped Northern Kentucky.
NKY History Hour is a virtual program, offered exclusively online. Participation is free, but registration is required to join via Zoom. Register online to receive a Zoom link to the event.
The event will also be streamed live on BCM’s Facebook page. All past NKY History Hour episodes can be viewed at bcmuseum.org.
NKY History Hour programs take place every other Tuesday evening. To support NKY History Hour and access many other entertaining and thought-provoking programs, join BCM. Donations to support the museum’s educational programming are welcome at bcmuseum.org/donate.
Behringer-Crawford Museum