In the late 1800’s, Augustus Eugene “A.E” Staley grew up barefoot on a North Carolina farm, decided he liked selling more than farming, and built an empire worth over a billion dollars today. The A.E. Staley Manufacturing Company grew to become the largest processor of soybeans in the world, and Staley’s passion for sports led him to become the original owner of the football team that became the Chicago Bears, and to ownership of a semi-pro baseball team featuring George Halas and Joe McGinnity. Staley’s influence on Decatur and Macon County is felt today in many infrastructure and philanthropic endeavors. 

Award-winning writer and film producer Julie Staley, president of the Staley Museum, will discuss the life and times of A.E. Staley, his influence on life on the prairie, incorporating what she has learned from both traditional research and personal stories handed down from generation to generation.