Missy LeHand Tells All Presented by Kathryn Smith. Marguerite A. LeHand worked for President Roosevelt for more than 20 years as his private secretary, counselor, confidante and friend. In this presentation, Smith wears period costume and speaks with Missy’s Boston accent about her time with FDR. Mid-talk, she removes Missy’s hat, tells “the rest of … Read more
Class, Inheritance and Society: The Economics of Love in Jane Austen Presented by Margaret J. Oakes. Jane Austen is all about numbers: how much per year is someone worth; how many suitors does a woman have; how many possible heirs might someone produce? These questions are not just for her female characters, as who you … Read more
The Letters of Queen Elizabeth I: the Humility of Power Presented by Margaret J. Oakes. Elizabeth I was regarded with awe by her people in her own lifetime, but she frequently communicated with her subjects as well as her fellow monarchs and counselors. Her avenues of communication were much more limited than those used by … Read more
Andrew Jackson, John C. Calhoun and The Petticoat Affair Presented by Patricia McNeely. After the election of President Andrew Jackson, the ladies of Washington were horrified by the dubious reputation of Peggy Eaton, the wife of the newly appointed secretary of war. After trying for 2 ½ years to have her included in the social … Read more
South Carolina Dances with Isabel Whaley Sloan Presented by Patricia McNeely. Isabel Whaley Sloan started teaching ballroom dancing and social etiquette in Columbia when she was 17 years old in 1914. For three-quarters of a century, generations of children, including Gov. Henry McMaster, flocked to her classes. Sloan was also well-known for organizing dances and social events for … Read more
Frances Perkins, Woman Behind the New Deal (1933-1945) Presented by Caroline McIntyre. Perkins became the first female cabinet member, FDR’s Secretary of Labor, at the rock bottom of the Great Depression. She came with a “To Do List” – workman’s compensation, unemployment insurance, old age and health insurance; a minimum wage, a maximum work week, … Read more
Mary Draper Ingles, Survivor of the Wilderness, 1755 Presented by Caroline McIntyre. Talk about a hiking challenge! How about a 500 mile wilderness trek, without food, fire, or weapons, in early winter and while wearing a summer dress? Captured by a Shawnee war party in the French and Indian War and taken more than 450 … Read more
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, 1962 Presented by Caroline McIntyre. Rachel Carson is depicted just after the publication of Silent Spring and 18 months before she dies of breast cancer. Warning of dangers of pesticides and pollution, Silent Spring races to the top of the bestseller list, and Rachel Carson is attacked on all sides by the chemical industry. Proclaimed … Read more
The Power of Black Female Flight in the Neo-Slave Narrative Presented by Len Lawson. In modern fictionalized narratives on slavery by black authors, black women are given a supernatural ability to transcend time and space in order to alter their genealogies and family trauma. This lecture details such abilities given to black female characters and … Read more
PO Box 5287
Columbia SC 29250
2711 Middleburg Drive
Suite 203
Columbia SC 29204
803-771-2477
