A photo exhibit based on the research of Michele Ronnick, of Wayne State University's classics department, will open on the third floor of the Detroit Public Library Sept. 2 and run through Sept. 27. A reception and public lecture will be held Saturday, Sept. 13, from 10:30 am to noon. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.

The exhibit highlights the lives and scholarly contributions to the study of classics by 12 African Americans who studied and wrote at the most prestigious universities of the 19th century and went on to teach at colleges across the nation.

With the end of the Civil war came the first widespread opportunity for blacks to attend colleges and universities. The standard curriculum was classical, and no one was considered a "learned" person without training in ancient Greek and Latin. This classically based curriculum formed the mainstay of liberal arts for generations.

The Loeb Classical Library Foundation at Harvard University provided funds for this groundbreaking research.

The Detroit Public Library, 5201 Woodward, north of Warren, is in the heart of Detroit's University Cultural Center. For information, call 313-833-4042.

Wayne State University is a premier institution offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students.