Tonight: FLARE to Announce 2026 Gould Award Winner
Plus, the virtual program will spotlight the association’s five-year anniversary with founding members' retrospective.
The First Ladies Association for Research and Education (FLARE) on Monday will present a virtual program announcing its 2026 Gould Award winner in combination with a fifth-anniversary retrospective recognizing the association’s first five years. The program begins at 7 p.m. EDT and can be viewed on FLARE’s YouTube channel.
Elizabeth “Jody” Natalle, a FLARE founder and a former board member, will moderate a discussion with other founding members Diana Carlin, Myra Gutin, Anita McBride, Nancy Kegan Smith and Katie Sibley about FLARE’s establishment, its activities and future goals. A slideshow of FLARE activities and members will be shown.
Formed in June 2019 by seven women from a combination of backgrounds including former White House staff, academics and book authors of first ladies, the nonprofit was established to be the primary association to facilitate networking, promoting and publicizing research and education for people from various fields studying America’s presidential spouses.
This conversation will look back at FLARE’s original goals in advancing scholarship on America’s first ladies, highlights key milestones in its growth and offers insight into the future of the field.
The program will open with the announcement of the 2026 Lewis L. Gould Award, which honors the legacy of Lewis L. Gould by recognizing a member whose work reflects his enduring commitment to research, teaching and public understanding of first ladies history. From founding vision to future direction, the program will look at how scholarship, collaboration, and public history continue to evolve within FLARE.
First Ladies Association for Research and Education is a scholarly organization dedicated to advancing research, teaching, and public understanding of America’s first ladies through collaboration among historians, educators, and institutions.
Calendar
June 27, 2026
The Story of Arthurdale: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Vision of Community
The Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill presents the fundraising panel discussion “The Story of Arthurdale: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Vision of Community” on June 27, 2026, from 12:30 to 3 p.m. local time. Following an informal lunch, join the Eleanor Roosevelt Center and Arthurdale Heritage for a special fundraiser and panel discussion exploring the extraordinary history of Arthurdale and Eleanor Roosevelt’s enduring connection to the community she called her “pet project.”
The afternoon will feature a panel discussion with Franceska Urbin, Supervisory Park Ranger at National Park Service, and Elizabeth Satterfield, Curator and Director of Education at Arthurdale Heritage, and moderated by Anna Fierst, Board Chair of the Eleanor Roosevelt Center (ERVK). They will examine the origins of Arthurdale, Eleanor Roosevelt’s advocacy for struggling families during the Great Depression, and the continued relevance of her vision today. Read more
June 27, 2026
The Grants’ World Tour
The bicentennial celebration of Julia Dent Grant at the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site at White Haven continues with a Ranger Talk on The Grants’ World Tour from 10 to 11 a.m. local time. For more information about the events call 314-842-1867.
June 27, 2026
First Ladies for Kids – Celebrate Ida McKinley
The National First Ladies Library & Museum in Canton, Ohio, invites parents to bring their young historian to First Ladies for Kids in the First Ladies Park at the historic site from 11 to 11:30 a.m. local time
The free monthly event is designed for children ages 7–10. This month, Ida McKinley, a Canton native who became one of the most beloved first ladies of her era, will be introduced with hands-on activities that bring history to life through creativity and play, a complimentary take-home workbook with interactive exercises in art, reading, spelling, and math and exploration of the historic Saxton-McKinley House with a National Park Service Ranger. Registration is requested. Read more
July 1, 2026
People’s House Party: White House History Ball
The People’s House: A White House Experience in Washington, D.C., presents a Civic Season after-hours ball on July 1, 2026, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. local time inspired by the dramatic burning of the White House by British troops in 1814. This evening transports attendees back in time to Federal America.
Tickets includes two drink tickets, tea cakes and desserts, history pop-ups about the US-UK relationship, and period-inspired activations like live traditional silhouettes from Silhouettes by Hand and Regency fan decorating. Regency/Federal Era-inspired fits are highly encouraged! Read more
July 4, 2026
Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Grand Opening
The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library (TRPL) will celebrate its grand opening on July 4, 2026, aligning with the 250th anniversary of the United States. Following an official dedication ceremony in the morning, the Library will formally open its doors to the public for the very first time.
Grand opening ticket holders will be among the first to experience what the library has to offer. Going beyond traditional displays, visitors will step directly into Roosevelt’s life through galleries using AI, holograms, and immersive storytelling. Tickets are required and in high demand. It is strongly encouraged to become a Founding Member if visitors want to attend the grand opening.
The July 4th celebrations will conclude with “Eyes on the Stars,” an immersive drone show serving as a celebratory close to the day’s events. Choreographed to celebrate the American West and the night sky that Roosevelt cherished, the aerial exhibition uses light and storytelling to narrate his legacy directly above the Badlands.
Throughout the celebration week, programming will feature live music, author talks, and guest speakers, including Secretary Doug Burgum, Edward F. O’Keefe, Douglas Brinkley, and Doris Kearns Goodwin.
July 7, 2026
White House History Live: In Pursuit of America’s Past
The White House Historical Association presents its Facebook Live series, White House History Live, which will feature a discussion about In Pursuit, a new initiative from More Perfect, led by the country’s most insightful and respected students of history, to explore our nation’s first 250 years and distill timeless lessons to inspire and inform the future. Join In Pursuit CEO Colleen Shogan, who served as the 11th Archivist of the United States, and Jim Ambuske, Director of Digital History at More Perfect, for a conversation about the trials and triumphs of some of America’s presidents and first ladies.
This virtual event will be live streamed on the White House Historical Association’s Facebook and YouTube pages starting at 5:30 p.m. ET on July 7. Read more
July 10, 2026
Legacy Lecture: A Tea with Ohio’s First Ladies
Experience history in a new way as Women in History Ohio brings Helen Taft, Ida McKinley, and Florence Harding together for a virtual tea. The First Ladies Library & Museum in Canton, Ohio, presents a virtual program from noon to 1 p.m. EDT on July 10, 2026, featuring the three former first lady portrayals as women connected to Ohio and the White House whose lives spanned very different eras of American history. Read more
Send calendar items, press releases and announcements to jtaylor@eastwingmagazine.com.