Conversations at the Washington Library

Mr. John Steele Gordon is an independent author and historian who specializes in business and financial history. He has written numerous books on America's financial history, including "The Scarlet Woman of Wall Street: A History of Wall Street in the 1860s" and "Hamilton's Blessing: The Extraordinary Life and Times of our National Debt." In this episode he discusses his latest work "Washington's Monument: And the Fascinating History of the Obelisk." Mr. Gordon spoke at a Ford Evening Book Talk at Mount Vernon on March 1, 2017.

Dr. Zara Anishanslin is Assistant Professor of History and Art History at the University of Delaware who specializes in Early American and Atlantic world history with a focus on eighteenth century material culture. She was the Patrick Henry Postdoctoral Fellow in the history department at Johns Hopkins University and a Mellon Fellow at CUNY's Graduate Center. In this episode she discusses her first book "Portrait of a Woman in Silk: Hidden Histories of the British Atlantic World."

John Avlon is is Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director of the Daily Beast and is a CNN political analyst. His book "Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America" was praised by President Bill Clinton as providing a "clear and comprehensive review of the forces on the outer edges of the political spectrum that shape and distort our political debate." Mr. Avlon discussed his newest book "Washington's Farewell: The Founding Father's Warning to Future Generations" at a Ford Evening Book Talk on February 1, 2017.

Dr. Kathleen DuVal is the Bowman and Gordon Gray Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on early America, particularly cross-cultural relations on North American borderlands. She explores how Native American, European, and African men and women interacted in the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries. She discusses her latest book, "Independence Lost: Lives on the Edge of the American Revolution," which won the Book of the Year Award from the Journal of the American Revolution and was a finalist for the 2016 George Washington Book Prize.

Laurie Halse Anderson is a New York Times bestselling author. Her first historical fiction novel, "Fever 1793," received multiple awards and is used in curriculums in classrooms around the nation. "Chains," the first book of her trilogy set during the Revolutionary War, was a National Book Award finalist, received the Scot O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, and received the ALA Best Book for Young Adults award. She discusses the challenges of teaching history and slavery in a meaningful way through fiction. Laurie spoke at Mount Vernon's Educators' Evening on December 7, 2016.

Dr. Lydia Brandt is Assistant Professor of Art History at the University of South Carolina, where she teaches the history of American art and architecture as well as methods of historic preservation. She was a member of the inaugural class of fellows at the Washington Library; the work she did during that time led to the publication of her first book, "First in the Homes of His Countrymen: George Washington's Mount Vernon in the American Imagination," in 2016. She discusses how replicas and imitations of Washington's estate have risen in popularity throughout history and how the home became and American Icon. Dr. Brandt spoke at a Ford Evening Book Talk on December 7, 2016.

Dr. David Hildebrand is a specialist in early American music, teaches American music history at the Peabody Conservatory, and is an author for the Johns Hopkins University Press. He regularly performs at museums, universities, and historical societies in duet with his wife, Ginger. He discusses how he came to study early American music and the political power of song during the Revolutionary period. His CD, "Music for the First President," is available for purchase from the Shops at Mount Vernon at shops.mountvernon.org. Dr. Hildebrand was a member of the 2016-17 class of fellows at the Washington Library.

Dr. Frank Cogliano is Professor of American History and Dean International for North America at the University of Edinburgh and is also a member of the advisory board for the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello. His latest book is "Emperor of Liberty: Thomas Jefferson's Foreign Policy." He discusses his role as a Jefferson scholar, Jefferson's reputation as a Founder, and the relationship between Jefferson, Washington, and Hamilton. Dr. Cogliano spoke at the 2016 George Washington Symposium at Mount Vernon.

Dr. Susan Dunn is the Massachusetts Professor of Humanities at Williams College and is the author of numerous history books exploring topics ranging from the French and American Revolutions to World War II. In this episode she discusses her early books on Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the importance of the Bill of Rights in the 20th Century, and how public education contributions to the creation of good citizens. Dr. Dunn spoke at the 2016 George Washington Symposium at Mount Vernon on November 4, 2016.

Mr. Richard Brookhiser is an American journalist, biographer, and historian, and is a senior editor at National Review. He has also written numerous books on the Founding period of American history. Mr. Brookhiser was the 2016 Gay Hart Gaines Distinguished Visiting Lecturer of American History at the Washington Library. He discusses his work on the study of George Washington.

The George Washington Leadership Lecture was held on October 3, 2016 and features a conversation with FBI Director James Comey, who will discuss leadership lessons learned throughout his personal pathway to becoming the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as his particular style of leading the nation's premiere federal law enforcement agency. The Lecture is held in partnership with the University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy and was made possible by a generous gift by Maribeth Borthwick, USC class of '73 and Vice Regent for California of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.

Dr. Lorri Glover is Professor and the John Francis Bannon S.J. Endowed Chair at St. Louis University and was a member of the 2016-17 class of research fellows at the Washington Library. She discusses her book "The Fate of the Revolution: Virginians Debate the Constitution," Dr. Glover spoke at a Ford Evening Book Talk at the Washington Library on October 20, 2016.

To celebrate the three-year anniversary of the opening of the Washington Library, we joined forces with the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia to host an old-fashioned debate entitled "Hamilton v. Jefferson on Executive Power: What Would Washington Say?" on September 27, 2016. The Founding Debates are sponsored by The Ammerman Family Foundation to honor James C. Rees, whose vision lives on with the Washington Library.

Dr. Mary Sarah Bilder is the Founders Professor of Law at Boston College Law School, where she teaches in the areas of property, trusts and estates, and American legal and constitutional history. She discusses her book "Madison’s Hand: Revising the Constitutional Convention," which was a finalist for the George Washington Book Prize. Dr. Bilder spoke at a Ford Evening Book Talk at Mount Vernon on September 15, 2016.

Dr. Bruce Ragsdale has served as director of the Federal Judicial History Office at the Federal Judicial Center and as an associate historian at the U.S. House of Representatives. He was also a fellow at the Washington Library during the 2014-15 academic year and was the recipient of the James C. Rees Entrepreneurship Fellowship. Dr. Ragsdale discusses his work studying George Washington’s agricultural entrepreneurship, including Washington’s interest in the continual improvement of his farms at Mount Vernon.