Tuesday: ‘A Visit to Montpelier - The Home of Dolley and James Madison’
FLARE free virtual program to reveal the Madisons through the eyes of their visitors.
Step back in time to explore Montpelier, the home of Dolley and James Madison, through the eyes of the people who visited them in the 19th century. The First Ladies Association for Research and Education presents on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, from 7 to 8 p.m. EST, a free virtual program on Montpelier and the Madisons based on the vivid descriptions visitors wrote about the time they spent at the estate.
The accounts have been invaluable for re-furnishing the house in the 21st century. In this presentation, Montpelier’s Senior Research Historian Hilarie M. Hicks will pull from visitors’ letters and diaries to illustrate the Madisons at home. View here
Registration Is Open for May First Ladies Conference
Registration is now open for the 2026 First Ladies Association for Research and Education conference “250 Years of First Ladies Making History” celebrating America’s 250th anniversary of its founding.
The event, sponsored by FLARE and American University’s School of Public Affairs First Ladies Initiative will bring together scholars, teachers, institutions, first ladies staff, biographers, archivists, journalists, historians, students and anyone with an interest in U.S. presidential first ladies for a day-long conference at American University in Washington, D.C.
The conference will kick off on May 14 with a Patron sponsors private event from 6 to 7:30 p.m. local time the night before the conference. Patron sponsor registrants will have an opportunity to meet the conference keynote speaker and panelists and meet and network with friends and colleagues.
The conference, which will also be livestreamed, will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST on May 15. Colleen Shogan, former Archivist of the United States and CEO of In Pursuit, will keynote the conference luncheon with an interview by Anita McBride, FLARE founding member, a Gould Award Recipient, co-director of In Pursuit and Director of the First Ladies Initiative at American University.
Alan Lowe, host of the American FLOTUS podcast, will moderate the panel following the luncheon that will feature FLARE members who are authors of In Pursuit essays on first ladies. The discussion will later air as a podcast. The framework of the conference will include two roundtable panels that will jointly cover the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Register here.
Calendar
March 25, 2026
Focus on Human Rights
The New York State Division of Human Rights along with the Dutchess County Commission on Human Rights and the Eleanor Roosevelt Center have launched, Focus on Human Rights: A Three-Part Series, that will analyze the evolution and continued advancement of human rights work in New York State. The series kicked off with webinars on March 11 and March 18. It wraps up with an in-person event on March 25.
The three-part series examines the Division of Human Rights’ modernization efforts, New York State’s protections of human rights under the Human Rights Law, an overview of the Division’s Hate and Bias Prevention Unit, the legacy and impact of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and an in-person panel exploring Eleanor Roosevelt’s leadership in shaping the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that continues to influence human rights work today. Read more
March 26, 2026
America’s First Ladies: Impact and Legacy
In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, the Truman Library Institute’s annual Women Rising event presents David Von Drehle, New York Times bestselling author and former Washington Post columnist, who will share the stage with internationally recognized author and former White House staffer Anita McBride. The event will take place in person and virtually at 6:30 p.m. CT on March 26, 2026. Together, they will explore her groundbreaking research for Remember the First Ladies, in which McBride highlights the women who broke barriers and profoundly shaped presidents, the country and the world. From civil rights to politics, public policy and global diplomacy, first ladies have transformed the “right-hand” role into one of lasting influence—both in public and behind the scenes.
As chief of staff to Laura Bush, McBride had an insider’s view of the First Lady’s evolving role. A knowledgeable and humorous storyteller, she will share insights into how first ladies throughout history advanced the position of women and left their mark on the nation. She’ll also provide fascinating commentary on the under- and over-appreciated residents of the White House, drawing on her unique experience and extensive research. Read more
March 28, 2026
George H.W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum Annual Easter Celebration
The Annual Easter Celebration, one of the most anticipated events of spring, will be held in person at the George H.W. Presidential Library & Museum in College Station, Texas, on Saturday, March 28, from 9:30 a.m. until noon local time. Activities at the free event will be available for children aged 9 and under, and will include an Easter egg hunt, carnival games, bounce houses, face painting, balloon animals, complimentary refreshments, and photos with the Easter Bunny. Modeled after the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, the Easter Celebration has been hosted by the Bush Library & Museum in partnership with the College Station Police Department since 1999, but the event has a long tradition in College Station. Read more
April 4, 2026
LBJ Library Easter Egg Roll
Future Forum members, bring your families and join the families of Partnerships for Children at the 11th Annual Easter Egg Roll on the lawn of the LBJ Presidential Library, to include: Easter Egg Roll and Hunt, ice cream, petting zoo, Easter Bunny and face painting.
The LBJ Future Forum is excited to host the Partnerships for Children (PFC) community for this special event. PFC’s mission is to make tomorrow better than today by supporting and empowering children, youth, and families involved with Child Protective Services. Please visit the PFC website to learn more.
Future Forum will be collecting diapers (size 4-7), pull-ups (any size), laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, baby wash, baby lotion, baby powder, diaper rash cream, and formula for the Rainbow Room, a 24/7 resource center in the Child Protective Services office. We encourage attendees to bring an item for the Rainbow Room.
The Easter Egg Roll is inspired by the White House Easter Egg Roll, an annual family event to hunt for and race Easter Eggs on the White House South Lawn.
April 4, 2026
Remember the Ladies Family Day
George Washington’s Mount Vernon presents “Remember the Ladies Family Day” on April 4, 2026, from 9 to 4 p.m. EST. Discover the nation’s founding mothers during America’s semiquincentennial and explore the many ways in which women supported the cause of liberty and the Revolutionary War.
Participate in hands-on activities, listen to character interpretations, and see demonstrations that highlight the lives and leadership of women at the home of America’s first First Lady, Martha Washington. Read more
April 10, 2026
Legacy Lecture: On the Road with America’s First Ladies
The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents a virtual program of powerful stories about America’s first ladies with Andrew Och, aka The First Ladies Man. The author of the two-volume series Unusual for Their Time: On the Road With America’s First Ladies highlights the women who shaped the presidency and influenced the course of American history. Read more
April 16, 2026
Third Thursday: Journeys That Changed America
The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents on April 16, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. local time stories of the first ladies whose travels helped transform diplomacy, leadership, and American life. This in-person Third Thursday program highlights unforgettable journeys: from Jackie Kennedy’s iconic moments abroad to Lady Bird Johnson’s road trips that helped redefine America’s landscapes. Read more
April 22, 2026
Ulysses Grant Deitz to Speak on ‘Julia and Ulysses at Home: The Grants in the White House, 1869-1877’
Julia and Ulysses Grant would live in the White House for longer than they ever lived in any other house. For Julia, it was home in a way the White House had never been for any previous first family. The Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 22, 2026, presents an in-person program featuring Ulysses Grant Deitz, great-great grandson of Ulysses and Julia. Deitz will explore Julia’s role as first lady and her substantial impact on the White House itself as well as the places and houses where they lived with their family. The event is part of the National Historic Site’s celebration of Julia Dent Grant’s 200th anniversary of her birth. Call 314-842-1867 ext. 230 for reservations.
April 23, 2026
From Poise to Purpose: Pat Nixon, Betty Ford, and the Changing Role of First Lady
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation presents a birthday event at the Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on April 23, 2026, to honor First Lady Betty Ford, who would be 108 on April 8.
Betty Ford and Pat Nixon shared more than just the first lady position. They also shared a long history of friendship and mutual admiration. Heath Hardage Lee, author of The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon, will discuss Pat Nixon’s life and times as well as the intertwined fates of Mrs. Nixon and Mrs. Ford, and their contrasting styles as first lady. Read more
May 3, 2026
Ranger Talk: Julia During the Civil War
The Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in St. Louis, Missouri, presents an in-person program discussing how Julia Dent Grant was actively traveling throughout the country during the Civil War on May 3, 2026, from 1 to 2 p.m. local time. Park Guide Jared Clark will follow Julia through the war years and her efforts to keep White Haven and the Grant household intact while grant was away on the battlefield. The program is free and part of the National Historic Site’s celebration of Julia Dent Grant’s 200th anniversary of her birth. For reservations, call 314-842-1867 ext. 230.
May 19, 2026
30th Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum
On May 19, 2026, the Carter Center’s Rosalynn Carter Mental Health and Caregiver Program will convene the 30th Annual Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum, a milestone gathering dedicated to advancing mental health policy, systems, and practice across the state of Georgia. Read more