May 23, 2013

James Monroe Museum Receives Donation for Symposium

The James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library received a $3,000 donation from the Paul Mesick Jones Trust, Walter Jervis Sheffield, Trustee, for “James Monroe: Life and Legacy,” a symposium to be held at the University of Mary Washington on October 18 and 19, 2013.  A joint effort of the museum and the Papers of James Monroe, the symposium will examine the historic legacy of the fifth president of the United States as it is presented at historic sites as well as in scholarly research.

The James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library, located in downtown Fredericksburg, will host a symposium at UMW in October. Photo courtesy of Lee Brauer.

Monroe’s public career ranged from distinguished service in the American Revolution to two presidential terms. In between, he served in virtually all branches of local, state and national government, including diplomatic postings to France, Great Britain and Spain, and four terms as Governor of Virginia.

Additional support for “James Monroe: Life and Legacy” comes from the Friends of the James Monroe Museum and the Stewart Jones Charitable Trust.  For more information about the two-day symposium, visit http://academics.umw.edu/jamesmonroepapers/events/.

The James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library is a National Historic Landmark owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia and administered by the University of Mary Washington.  Founded in 1927, it is the nation’s largest repository of artifacts and documents related to the fifth President of the United States.  For hours of operation, directions, and other information, call (540) 654-1043, or visit www.jamesmonroemuseum.org.

Daniel Preston Publishes Chapter in Book

Daniel Preston, editor of the Papers of James Monroe, had an essay entitled “James Monroe, 1758-1783: Student and Soldier of the American Revolution” published as a chapter in “A Companion to James Madison and James Monroe,” edited by Stuart Leibiger by Wiley-Blackwell in their “The American Presidents” series.

Daniel Preston Presents at Conference in London

Daniel Preston, editor of the Papers of James Monroe, presented a paper entitled “Sectional Reconciliation in the Aftermath of the War of 1812:  James Monroe in New England, 1817” at the conference “The War of 1812: Myth and Memory, History and Historiography,” held at the University of London July 12 to 14.  Preston also attended conferences this summer in Edinburgh, Scotland and Baltimore, Md.

Daniel Preston Recognized by Masonic Lodge

Daniel Preston, editor of the Papers of James Monroe, was a guest at the monthly meeting the Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge on Friday, June 8.  The Grand Master presented Preston with a certificate of appreciation for the books on Monroe that he donated to the Lodge’s library.

Daniel Preston Presents at Monticello Symposium

Daniel Preston, editor of the Papers of James Monroe, presented a paper entitled “Sounds in the Neighborhood: Music in the Lives of James Monroe and His Family” jointly with Katherine Preston of the College of William & Mary at the symposium Soundscapes of Jefferson’s America, sponsored by the University of Virginia and Monticello, on Friday, March 30.

Cassandra Good Publishes Research in Journal

Cassandra Good, assistant editor for the Papers of James Monroe, wrote an article that appears in the April 2012 issue of the international journal Gender & History. The article, “Friendly Relations: Situating Friendships Between Men and Women in the Early American Republic, 1780–1830,” features research from her doctoral dissertation in history.