UNA to Host Global Premier of Making History Together, The Documentary Chronicles a Pivotal Moment in UNA’s History
Sep. 15, 2026
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – The University of North Alabama will host the global premier of Making History Together, the documentary film that chronicles the integration of the institution. The story revolves around the activities of prominent alumnus Dr. Wendell Gunn, President E.B. Norton, famed civil rights attorney Fred Gray, and the University community as a whole.
The documentary will premier Thursday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. in Norton Auditorium on the UNA campus.
“It was in September of 1963 when Wendell Gunn made history by taking his first day of classes here at what was then Florence State College,” said UNA’s President Dr. Ken Kitts. “We are thrilled to host the global premier of the telling of that vital and important time in the institution’s history. We want to ensure that future generations know and appreciate the role that Dr. Gunn and Dr. Norton played in that very significant event.”
Making History Together is the product of documentary filmmaker Norton Dill, whose other credits include Music in Their Bones: The Music & People of Sand Mountain (1999), Katherine, the Story of a Teller (2004), and Restoration: The Life and Stories of the Lyric Theatre (2023). He is also the nephew of Dr. E. B. Norton, the president of Florence State College and one of the officials featured in the new documentary.
“Making this film was important for many reasons, not the least of which is the opportunity to tell a story that has been told in my family for years,” he said. “It is also an opportunity to honor the moment when Wendell Gunn integrated UNA and to hear from him and others who were living and attending the school at the time.”
The University is proud to partner on this global premier with Alabama Public Television, which will premiere the documentary on its network on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. CST.
“Alabama Public Television is excited to share this important part of Alabama history with viewers across the state,” said Mike McKenzie, Programming and Public Information Director for the state network. “President Norton’s visionary leadership deserves to be recognized, as do the accomplishments of Wendell Gunn. Filmmaker Norton Dill has created a compelling story of the pivotal events that reshaped the University of North Alabama and higher education in the state.”
The documentary’s executive producer, Dr. Matt Schoenbachler, a History Professor at UNA, has also been working for years with Dr. Gunn to tell his life story.
"I’ve truly enjoyed helping Wendell tell his story in his own words,” he said. “Norton Dill’s documentary is an excellent opportunity to see and hear from many of the individuals included in the book.”
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; the Spencer College of Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I and United Athletic conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: www.una.edu and www.una.edu/unaworks/.