Coastal Discovery Museum announces six speakers for fall series

Six people with connections to Hilton Head Island’s history, culture and development will speak at the Coastal Discovery Museum this fall as part of its 2026 Legends & Luminaries Speaker Series.

The six-event series will be held on select Tuesdays in October and November at the museum at Honey Horn. Topics will include life on Hilton Head before widespread development, Gullah heritage, the island’s tennis history and the growth of its residential communities.

Frederick C. Hack Jr. will open the series Oct. 6. Hack moved with his family to Honey Horn in June 1950, before he was 3 years old, and grew up on the property that is now home to the Coastal Discovery Museum. His talk offers a personal look at Honey Horn and Hilton Head during a pivotal period in the island’s history.

Collins Doughtie will speak Oct. 13. His family moved to Hilton Head in 1961. A longtime Lowcountry writer and outdoorsman, Doughtie has written about the region for The Hilton Head Sun, The Beaufort Gazette and other publications. His program will draw on his experiences in the Lowcountry and the people and places he has encountered.

Landon Thorne III will speak Oct. 27. Thorne first came to Honey Horn at age 7, when it was his family’s island home. He is a poet, journalist, film producer and pilot, as well as a Yale graduate, retired Marine Corps Reserve colonel, decorated combat veteran and business leader. His debut novel, “The Mud Bone Squabble,” is scheduled for release in early summer 2027.

Charlotte Pazant-Brown will speak Nov. 3 about her family’s connections to Hilton Head’s Gullah community. Her grandfather, William Bradford Frazier, was born on Hilton Head in 1895 and was a musician and educator. Her mother, Rosalie Pazant, was an educator and founder of the original Gullah Festival. Pazant-Brown and her sisters helped establish the festival in 1986, and Pazant-Brown later served as its president.

Tennis will be the focus Nov. 10, when Stan Smith speaks. Sea Pines founder Charles Fraser invited Smith to Hilton Head in 1971 to become Sea Pines’ touring professional. Smith won the U.S. Open that year and Wimbledon in 1972. He later made Hilton Head his home and, with Billy Stearns, established the Smith Stearns Tennis Academy in 2002.

David Ames will close the series Nov. 17. Ames arrived on Hilton Head in 1973 and joined Fraser’s Sea Pines Company. His work included helping develop Hilton Head Plantation and later co-developing Long Cove Club. Ames also served on Hilton Head Island Town Council from 2016 to 2024.

“We are honored to present six fascinating people and inspiring leaders whose experiences help tell the story of Hilton Head,” museum President and CEO Rex Garniewicz said. “These conversations offer an opportunity to hear directly from people who have witnessed, contributed to, and influenced the island’s history and culture.”

All sessions will be held in the Sea Island Room at Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive. Wine and conversation begin at 5 p.m., followed by the speaker and a question-and-answer session from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are $20 for ages 13 and older, and registration is required. Information and registration are available at coastaldiscovery.org or by calling 843-689-6767, ext. 223.