Coastal Carolina University professor Roy Talbert Jr. will be featured at an Author Tea & Talk at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 16 at the Waccamaw Higher Education Center in Litchfield. The public is invited, and the event is free. Refreshments and tea will be provided.

"Coastal Carolina University: The First 50 Years," is the official history of the institution by Talbert which has just been published and is now available for sale. The author will give a talk and sign copies of his book, which will be available for sale.

A longtime history professor and a noted author, Talbert chronicles the founding and development of the institution from 1954 to Coastal's 50th anniversary in 2004. The narrative describes the economic and social background of the region during those years, and it conveys the personalities and the cultural forces that went into the making of the university. The story follows the efforts of Horry County leaders to organize a two-year college, which was finally sponsored by the College of Charleston in 1954. It provides a thorough account of the growth of higher education in the area.

Talbert is the author of several other histories of institutions, including "So Much To Be Thankful For," the story of Conway National Bank. The Coastal book is available at the Coastal Carolina University Bookstore, Booksmiths in Conway and Litchfield Books.

The Waccamaw Higher Education Center is at 160 Willbrook Blvd. adjacent to the Hampton Inn off U.S. 17 in Litchfield. For more information, call 349-4030.