Mary Badham, the actress best-known as Jean Louise “Scout” Finch in the film, “To Kill A Mockingbird,” will speak at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15, Berrier Hall (gymnasium), Lehigh Carbon Community College, main campus, Schnecksville, North Whitehall.

Badham will read from “To Kill A Mockingbird” and Harper Lee’s recently-published “Go Set A Watchman.” The event is free and open to the public.

The talk is part of LCCC’s 50th anniversary celebration and takes place during the American Library Association’s “Banned Books Week,” an annual celebration of the freedom to read.

Badham had no prior acting experience when she was chosen from a pool of 4,000 to play Scout. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, at the time the youngest actress (age 10) ever nominated in the category.

“After To Kill A Mockingbird” in 1962, Badham appeared in two other films, “This Property Is Condemned” (1966) with Robert Redford and Natalie Wood, and “Let’s Kill Uncle” (1966). Badham also played Sport Sharewood in “The Bewitchin’ Pool,” the final episode of the original “The Twilight Zone” TV series.

In 2005, Badham came out of retirement to play an offbeat cameo opposite Keith Carradine in “Our Very Own.”

Badham is an art restorer and a married mother of two. She has traveled extensively promoting “To Kill A Mockingbird” and giving talks about its impact in literature.