Pulitzer-Prize winning historian David McCullough will be the keynote speaker at the University of Mary Washington Founders Day Convocation Ceremony on Friday, March 14. The ceremony, which will include a greeting by Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, will be held at 3 p.m. at George Washington Hall, Dodd Auditorium.
The convocation marks the centennial Founders Day anniversary of the university that was established as the State Normal School for Women at Fredericksburg on March 14, 1908. The convocation program is the capstone of UMW’s Centennial Celebration that will feature a variety of events at the university. The convocation ceremony is free, but tickets are required and are available on a first-come, first-served basis by calling (540) 654-1055.
McCullough won the Pulitzer Prize for his biographies, “John Adams” and “Truman.” He is a two-time winner of both the National Book Award and the Francis Parkman Prize for nonfiction. The recipient of 31 honorary degrees, McCullough is a past president of the Society of American Historians.
In addition to narrating numerous documentaries, McCullough has been featured in The New York Times, Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report, and he has lectured in the White House.
A graduate of Yale University, McCullough has been an editor, essayist, teacher and lecturer. Currently, he lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Rosalee Barnes McCullough.
The Founders Day processional will include a representative from most graduating classes, starting with 1936. The university also will unveil its new sterling silver mace that will replace the original mace created in 1970 for Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia. Commissioned by artist Susannah Wagner of Ashland, the new centennial mace will include symbols of UMW and will be used at all future ceremonial processions.
Other centennial activities surrounding Founders Day that are free and open to the public include:
· Opening reception for the “Centennial Alumni Exhibition” on Thursday, March 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. in Ridderhof Martin Gallery, College Avenue at Seacobeck Street. The exhibition runs through June 1.
· Great Lives Series lecture, “Mary and George Washington,” by Peter Henriques, author of “Realistic Visionary: A Portrait of George Washington,” on Thursday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m. in Dodd Auditorium.
· Centennial Concert, by the UMW-Community Symphony, on Saturday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m. in Dodd Auditorium. The orchestra will perform favorite works from past seasons, a new version of the UMW alma mater and a commissioned score by internationally celebrated composer James Grant.
The Centennial Celebration continues throughout the academic year. For more information, contact the Office of University Relations at (540) 654-1055 or visit www.umw.edu/centennial.