Speaker: Dr. Dudley M. Marchi, Professor of Humanities, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, North Carolina State University

This presentation will give a brief overview of French heritage in North Carolina to set the stage for the arrival of the “French Gratitude Train” in downtown Raleigh February 8, 1949. It was an exciting event. France sent boxcars laden with gifts to all 49 US states in appreciation for securing the Allied victory over Germany. The American nickname for this magnificent gift was the “Merci Train.” Archival photographs document the event and the collection of gifts.