Edsel B. Ford II, member of the Ford Motor Co. board of directors, will deliver the Henry Brown Memorial Lecture during the annual Conference on Local History to be held at Wayne State University's McGregor Memorial Conference Center April 9-10.

Ford, who chairs the Detroit 300 Committee, will discuss planning that is under way for the celebration of Detroit's 300th anniversary in 2001. He will speak at an 11:45 a.m. luncheon on Friday, April 9.

Guest speaker for a 12:15 a.m. luncheon on Saturday, April 10, will be Ismael Ahmed, executive director of the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) in Dearborn. He will give a historical perspective on the Arab community in Detroit.

The history conference, titled "Michigan in Perspective," is in its 41st year and attracts history buffs from throughout the Great Lakes region. More than400 persons are expected this year, according to WSU Distinguished Professor of History Philip Mason, who has chaired the annual event since its beginning in the 1950s.

A sampling of topics to be discussed at the conference: Michigan in the Civil War, Historical Photography, Teaching Michigan History in Our Schools, Genealogy, Regional History, Folklore, Historical Archeology.

In each session, speakers will discuss specific aspects of the major topic. For example, the folklore session will include presentations on "Detroit Firefighters Folklore" and "Great Lakes Maritime Folklife."

Films to be shown this year include The Carl D. Bradley Remembered, Tales from Arab Detroit, Oral History of the Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa and Pontiac's Rebellion, among others.

The diversity of topics offered has been a key to the popularity of the event, according to Mason, who points out that the annual gathering is the most successful of its type in the country.

Activities will begin with registration, a coffee hour and exhibits in the McGregor Memorial Conference Center at 9 a.m. on April 9. The Detroit Public Library will host a reception at its Burton Historical Collection from 5-6:30p.m. April 9, and a get-acquainted breakfast sponsored by the Michigan Oral History Association will be at 8:30 a.m. April 10 in WSU's McGregor Center.

Conference registration is $7 (free to students with a valid ID). Admission to the luncheon programs is $11 each, and the Saturday breakfast $7.

Advance payment for the breakfast and luncheon programs is recommended to ensure seating. For more information and a program list with registration form, contact WSU's Walter P. Reuther Library at (313) 577-4003.