Conference

“The Underground: Prohibition, Abolition, Expression”
2026 Conference Webpage

April 10-12, 2026, hosted by Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Baker Street Station on the Metropolitan Railway, 1863 – 1869. Lithograph, unknown artist. London Transport Museum.
Conference Highlights:
  • Stedman Lecture by Nathan K. Hensley, Professor, Georgetown University
  • MVSA Lifetime Achievement Award honoring Linda K. Hughes, Professor Emerita, Texas Christian University
  • The conference will run from lunchtime, Friday, April 10, to lunchtime, Sunday, April 12. The Board Meeting will take place in the morning of Friday, April 10.
  • Please see the call for papers at the following link as a PDF.
Registration

Registration opens soon!

Accommodations
  1. Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/Midtown, 2145 Dana Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45207. We have reserved 25 rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/Midtown for those attending the MVSA 2026 conference, with a rate of $148 (plus tax) per night available from Thursday night (April 9) through Sunday morning (April 12). The room block only includes King bed rooms. The check-in time is 3:00 P.M.; check-out time is at 11:00 A.M. Breakfast is not included. Self-parking for hotel guests is available for $10/day. The hotel is located 1 mile from Xavier’s campus, so, the location is most suitable for those who are able and willing to walk to the conference venue.
    • Guests may use this link to secure reservations at the discounted rate. General information about the hotel can be found here.
  2. Courtyard by Marriott Cincinnati Midtown/Rookwood, 3813 Edwards Road, Cincinnati, OH 45209. We have a room block of 25 rooms reserved at a rate of $159 (plus tax) per night available from Thursday night (April 9) through Sunday morning (April 12). The room block includes King and Queen rooms. The check-in time is 3:00 P.M.; check-out time is at 11:00 A.M. Breakfast is not included. Self-parking for hotel guests is available for $10/day. The hotel is located within 5 minutes by car from Xavier’s campus and situated on a city bus route.
    • Guests may use this link to secure reservations at the discounted rate. General information about the hotel can be found here.
Transportation

We will add information as it becomes available. Please visit this website again soon!

For information on past MVSA conferences, visit the Archives section of the website.