The Mount Joy Area Historical Society will host Ross Hetrick as guest speaker at its monthly meeting to be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 18, at the Cemetery Road Schoolhouse, 120 Fairview St., Mount Joy.

In a program titled "Thaddeus Stevens," Hetrick will appear in character and provide information about Stevens' life as an American politician and lawyer. Stevens served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania, and was one of the leaders of the Radical Republicans during the 1860s who championed freedom and equality during and after the Civil War.

Hetrick is the president and founder of the Thaddeus Stevens Society, which was started in 1999 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the legacy of Thaddeus Stevens. Hetrick was born in Waynesboro, Va., and graduated from the University of Virginia in 1975. He was a business reporter for 20 years, working for the Newport News, Daily Press, the Baltimore Evening Sun and the Baltimore Sun. In 1995, he moved to Gettysburg and operated Ross's Coffeehouse and Eatery from 1996 to 2004. Starting in 2018 Hetrick dedicated himself full-time to the legacy of Thaddeus Stevens. He offers educational programs portraying the famed politician and writes a monthly column about Stevens known as the "Thaddeus Stevens Chronicles."

The meeting is free and open to the public. Refreshments will follow the program. The society building is open every Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., weather permitting. Visitors may stop by to do research and see the many displays of Mount Joy memorabilia. To learn more, visit http://www.mountjoyhistory.com.