Ceremonies Will Celebrate Life of Rosalynn Carter
Ceremonies Will Celebrate Life of Rosalynn Carter
Plus, meet the authors at the White House Historical Association Holiday Book Festival
Several ceremonies celebrating the life of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, who passed away at age 96, will take place from Monday, Nov. 27, through Wednesday, Nov. 29, in Atlanta and Sumter County, Georgia, according to The Carter Center.
(All start times are Eastern Standard Time)
Monday Nov. 27
Wreath-Laying at Georgia Southwestern State University and Repose at Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum
10:25 a.m.: The Carter family motorcade will arrive at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus. Mrs. Carter’s remains will be transferred to a hearse, accompanied by past and present members of her U.S. Secret Service detail.
10:40 a.m.: The motorcade will depart the grounds of the medical center on a public route to nearby Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia. The public is invited to pay respects along the motorcade route, which will be shared later.
11 a.m.: Motorcade arrives at the Rosalynn Carter Health and Human Sciences Complex at Georgia Southwestern State University, where wreaths will be laid.
11:15 a.m.: Motorcade departs for The Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta.
3:15 p.m.: Arrival ceremony at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum.
3:30 p.m.: Repose service in lobby of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum.
6-10 p.m.: The Carter family invites members of the public to pay their respects as Mrs. Carter lies in repose at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. Parking and a shuttle will be available at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 435 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta.
Tuesday, Nov. 28
Carter Center Departure Ceremony and Tribute Service
11:30-11:45 a.m.: Carter Presidential Center departure ceremony. Motorcade proceeds to Glenn Memorial Church at Emory University.
1 p.m.-2:30 p.m.: Tribute service at Glenn Memorial Church at Emory University with invited guests.
Wednesday, Nov. 29
Funeral Service and Interment
10:55 a.m.: The funeral procession arrives at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains.
11 a.m.: A service for family and invited friends takes place at the church.
12:30 p.m.: The casket will be transferred to a hearse and depart for private interment at the Carter family residence.
The public is welcome to line the family motorcade route as it proceeds from the church, down Bond Street, and along Hwy. 280 in downtown Plains. Viewing areas will be designated. Everyone is expected to respect private property and park only in designated areas.
Condolence books will be available to sign at Georgia Southwestern State University, the Plains Welcome Center, Plains High School, and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum.
Dec. 1, 2023
Meet the Authors at Annual Holiday Book Festival
More than 20 authors of popular and award-winning White House Historical Association titles will be on hand to sign their books at the organization’s 2023 Holiday Book Festival.
The festival will be held on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (EST) at the White House History Shop, 1610 H Street N.W., in Washington, D.C. The event is free and open to the public.
The White House Historical Association published its first book, The White House: An Historic Guide, in 1962. It was the wish of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy that such a book be written, and she participated actively in the editing, according to the White House Historical Association.
For more than 60 years, the WHHA has continued to produce award-winning books on a wide range of subjects related to the history of the President’s House, from its architecture, gardens, fine and decorative arts to the presidents and first ladies who lived there over the years. The list includes titles that will appeal to history buffs and art lovers, connoisseurs and curious amateurs, scholars and tourists, adults and children.
The public will be greeted by President Thomas Jefferson (as portrayed by historical actor-interpreter Bill Barker of Monticello). Also, artist Peter Waddell will be at work painting an historical scene of the White House throughout the day. He will be available to sign An Artist Visits the White House Past. And, artist John Hutton will offer lessons on how to draw the presidents throughout the day and will be signing his book How to Draw the Presidents as well as seven children titles in the Association's popular children's series.
Several authors spotlighting America’s first ladies will be signing their written work at the festival.
This year, co-authors Diana B. Carlin, Anita McBride and Nancy Kegan Smith will be on hand to sign their upcoming book, Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women, a groundbreaking book showing the evolutionary role of first lady and its historic importance on the American presidency.
Fashion historian Christina Ewald will display her reproductions of two of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s iconic dresses and will sign the White House History Quarterly article which tells the story of their creation.
Mary Jo Binker will sign her recent White House History Quarterly article as well as her books, If You Ask me: Essential Advice from Eleanor Roosevelt and What Are We For? The Words and Ideals of Eleanor Roosevelt.
And, Rebecca Roberts will sign Untold Power: The Fascinating Rise and Complex Legacy of First Lady Edith Wilson and Suffragists in Washington, DC: The 1913 Parade and the Fight for the Vote.
Other topics and authors include:
Food and Wine
Chef Matthew Wendel, the personal chef to President and Mrs. George W. Bush at Camp David and Prairie Chapel Ranch, will be on hand to sign his award winning memoir and cookbook Recipes from the President’s Ranch: Food People Like to Eat.
Nancy Haller Bender, Susan Haller Capps, and Bob Haller, children of the late Executive White House Chef Henry Haller, will share memories of their father’s life and White House experiences. Chef Haller's White House Family Cookbook will be available for sale.
Chef Mark Ramsdell, a longtime colleague of the late White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier, will share memories of working with Chef Mesnier on elaborate White House gingerbread houses, and will be available to sign The White House in Gingerbread: Memories and Recipes and Creating the Sweet World of White House Desserts.
Presigned copies of the award-winning Wine and the White House: A History by Frederick J. Ryan, Jr. will be available.
For children
Author Rocco Smirne will sign A White House Alphabet, Rocco Travels with the Presidents, and Rocco at the White House Easter Egg Roll.
Landscape historian and author Jonathan Pliska will sign Presidents Play!, Kids Play at the White House! He will also sign his authoritative history A Garden for the President.
The White House collection
Former White House curators William G. Allman and Lydia Tederick, and Melissa Naulin, the current White House associate curator of decorative arts, will sign the new Furnishing the White House: The Decorative Arts Collection and The White House: An Historic Guide.
Former White House Curator William G. Allman will also sign Official White House China.
The President’s neighborhood
Author Katherine Malone-France will sign The Stephen Decatur House: A History.
Photographer Bruce M. White will sign At Home in the President’s Neighborhood.
To Live on Lafayette Park: Society and Politics in the President's Neighborhood will be available presigned by the late William Seale.
Journalist
Journalist Ann Compton will be on hand to sign "Covering the President from the Last Plane in Flight September 11, 2001," a White House History Quarterly article detailing her experience witnessing history unfold aboard Air Force One.
Biography and memoir
Historical interpreter and actor Bill Barker will sign Becoming Jefferson: My Life as a Founding Father and his White House History Quarterly article on outfitting Jefferson.
Mary Jo Binker will sign her recent White House History Quarterly article as well as her books, If You Ask me: Essential Advice from Eleanor Roosevelt and What Are We For? The Words and Ideals of Eleanor Roosevelt.
Melinda Dart will sign A Glimpse of Greatness: The Memoir of Irineo Esperancilla and her recent White House History Quarterly article that tell the story of her grandfather, a Filipino Navy Steward, who served Presidents Hoover, FDR, Truman, and Eisenhower.
Matthew Algeo will sign his recent White House History Quarterly article as well as his books When Harry Met Pablo: Truman, Picasso; Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure; and Abe & Fido: Lincoln’s Love of Animals and the Touching Story of His Favorite Canine Companion.
John Dalton, Former Secretary of the Navy, will sign At the Helm: My Journey with Family, Faith, and Friends to Calm the Storms of Life.
For the holidays
Author Marcia Anderson will sign The Official White House Christmas Ornament: Collected Stories of a Holiday Tradition.
Books and exclusive gifts are also available at shop.whitehousehistory.org. Click here for more information or to rsvp.
New!
Washington Library Acquires a Martha Washington Letter
In October, the Washington Library had a rare opportunity to acquire a Martha Washington letter. Writing to her niece Francis "Fanny" Bassett Washington on 15 February 1794, the first lady shares her concerns about the health of her sister Elizabeth Henley and her sister’s children, reporting that one of Henley’s young sons has recently died.
She mentions that she expects to leave Philadelphia soon but cannot say exactly when, as it depends on the adjournment of Congress and other events, and that the president was likely only to be gone from Philadelphia for as long as it takes him to "go home and back" as he "will not stay at mount Vernon a moment longer than he has looked over his farms."
Other matters discussed include concern and optimism about the marriages of her nieces and nephew, the transport of Fanny’s belongings, and travel plans and well-wishes.
Martha Washington letters are typically only made available for purchase in the collections markets every few years. Prior to the appearance of this letter at auction, the only record of its existence was a photocopy of unknown origin in the Library's collection, according to the Washington Library. Read more about Martha Washington.
Calendar
Starting Nov. 24-25, Dec. 1-2, Dec. 8-9, and Dec. 17, 2023
Mount Vernon by Candlelight
Tour George Washington’s historic estate by candlelight and learn about holiday traditions in 18th-century Virginia. This year's event will explore the build-up to the Revolution as the 250th anniversary of the year 1773 is celebrated. Read more
Nov. 27, 2023
Virtual First Ladies on the Page Book Discussion: “Sisters First”
The National First Ladies Library and Museum will host a staff-led book discussion on Sisters First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush, the fraternal twin daughters of former First Lady Laura Bush and George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States. Born into a political dynasty, Jenna and Barbara Bush grew up in the public eye. As small children, they watched their grandfather become president; just twelve years later they stood by their father's side when he took the same oath. They spent their college years watched over by Secret Service agents and became fodder for the tabloids, with teenage mistakes making national headlines. Read more
Now through Nov. 27, 2023
Apply for Funds From the Laura Bush Foundation For America’s Libraries
Grant applications are now open for The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries. The foundation provides funds to schools in the United States that are in need to extend, update, and diversify the book and print collections in their libraries with the goal of encouraging students to develop a love of reading and learning.
Since its inception in 2002, the Laura Bush Foundation has awarded $21 million to over 3,600 schools across the country, according to a statement from the foundation. In the 2022-2023 grant cycle, the Laura Bush Foundation awarded $1.5 million in grants to 300 school libraries across 36 states. Many librarians used the funds to update their library collections by adding more dual language titles and books that showcase a wide range of stories and perspectives.
The application deadline is Monday, Nov. 27, 2023. Successful applicants will be notified by mid-late spring 2024. Read more
Nov. 28, 2023
Virtual Forum: Carl Sferrazza Anthony Discusses New Jackie Kennedy Book
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum welcomes historian and author Carl Sferrazza Anthony to discuss his new book Camera Girl: The Coming of Age of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy, a new biography exploring Mrs. Kennedy’s early adulthood. Eileen McNamara, Pulitzer Prize-winning former Boston Globe columnist and Brandeis professor emerita of the practice of journalism, moderates. Time: 6 to 7:30 pm EST. Register here
Dec. 5, 2023
White House History Live: The Washingtons, the Custises, and the Making of America
Learn more about the history of the nation’s “first family” during a White House Historical Association Facebook and YouTube Live event. The program will trace George Washington’s step grandchildren, the Custises, from childhood celebrities to carriers of the Washington legacy in nineteenth century America. Author Cassandra Good will discuss her book, “First Family,” sharing insights on writing the story of this historic family.
The program is part of the White House Live series and explores the stories that make up the history of the executive mansion and can be live streamed on the White House Historical Association's Facebook and YouTube pages starting at 5:30 pm ET on December 5. Read more
Dec. 6, 2023
Online — Ann Lowe: An American Couturier with a First Ladies' Connection
The National First Ladies Library and Museum will feature Elizabeth Way, associate curator of costume at FIT in an online discussion of the Ann Lowe exhibition at the Winterthur Museum. Ann Lowe (c. 1898 - 1981) was a prolific American fashion designer, working from the 1910s in Montgomery, Alabama, through the 1920s in Tampa, Florida, and for four decades in New York City. Lowe spent her career creating custom gowns for elite American women, specializing in intricate, feminine silhouettes and floral embellishments. Her most famous design is Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy's 1953 wedding dress. Read more
Dec. 10, 2023
A Timeless Holiday Tea at the National First Ladies Library
Celebrate the warmth of the holidays at the National First Ladies Library and Museum with “A Timeless Holiday Tea”' featuring a livestreamed program by Coleen Christian, former White House holiday decorator. Coleen Christian is an esteemed interior decorator who was part of the White House decorating team in 2008, where she created icicle trees in the Grand Lobby and festive Fife and Drum motifs in the State Dining Room. She is the author of “Christmas with the First Ladies: The White House Decorating Tradition from Jacqueline Kennedy to Michelle Obama.” Signed copies of Coleen Christian’s book will be available for purchase. Read more
Dec. 21, 2023
Third Thursdays Night Out with Jackie Kennedy - Private Curator-Led Tour
The National First Ladies Library and Museum invites visitors to “Get to Know the Real Jackie O” with this behind-the-scenes private tour led by their curator of the exhibition Beyond Camelot: The Life and Legacy of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Light appetizers and drinks are included. Read more
Now through Dec. 31, 2023
Apply for the Washington Library’s Fellowship Program
The Washington Library is accepting applications for its 2024-2025 research fellowship program now through Dec. 31, 2023. Research fellows can spend one, three, or six months as a research fellow at the George Washington Library, located at George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Virginia. Funded research opportunities are available to people researching the early American period. Read more
On exhibit through April 27, 2024
Beyond Camelot: The Life and Legacy of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Visitors to the National First Ladies Library and Museum in Canton, Ohio, can explore a replica of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s wedding gown designed by Anne Lowe and other never-before-seen artifacts donated by Monte Durham of Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta. The free exhibition runs through April 27, 2024 and is open to the public. Read more
Submit announcements and calendar items to East Wing Magazine by emailing jtaylor@eastwingmagazine.com.