The New Albany Community Foundation will host its annual "A Remarkable Evening" event at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, at the Party Barn at the Wexner residence.

This year's event will feature presidential historian and author Michael Beschloss, who most recently published the New York Times best seller, "Presidential Courage."

Beschloss has written eight other books, serves as the NBC News presidential historian and has appeared on PBS' "News Hour with Jim Lehrer."

Craig Mohre, president of the community foundation, said this is the fourth time the event has featured a presidential historian. Previous speakers and performers include David McCullough, Wendy Wasserstein, Ronan Tynan, Doris Kearns Goodwin, John Irving and Walter Isaacson.

"Our audience enjoys the historians," he said. "We've had sort of a good mix."

The event also will feature the presentation of the Jeanne and John G. McCoy Community Service Award, which is being given to Phil Heit, founder of both the New Albany Walking Club and the New Albany Walking Classic.

Previous recipients were Janet Atwater, founder of the New Albany Women's Network; Ralph Johnson, former New Albany-Plain Local Schools superintendent; Bill Resch, local environmental activist; and Don Cameron, former Plain Township trustee.

Tickets for A Remarkable Evening, which is being underwritten by the American Electric Power Foundation with additional support provided by UBS, cost $500, with all proceeds going to the community grants the foundation makes each year.

The event usually raises $200,000 to $300,000 for the foundation.

Tickets are available by calling the foundation office at 939-8150.

"The wonderful thing about it is, all of the money we raise gets pumped back into the community, whether it's supporting the library or arts programs," Mohre said.

In addition to the Nov. 18 event, Beschloss also will speak to students from New Albany High School and from Centennial, Mifflin and Northland high schools from the Columbus City School District at 10 a.m. Nov. 19 at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts.

Mohre said some students from the Licking Heights Local School District and Johnstown-Monroe Local School District also might participate. He said the community foundation has donated 200 of Beschloss' books to the schools.

"Beschloss is well-known as one of the most respected authors and historians in the country," Mohre said. "He is a great speaker, and I'm just sure people will walk away stimulated and inspired."