Renewing Ideals and
Engaging the Public Presidential Sites and Libraries Conference V
june 21-24, 2010 Charlottesville, Virginia H o s t e d b y:
Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia P r e s e n t e d b y:
AASLH ✯ Miller Center of Public Affairs ✯ Monticello ✯ National Park Service National Archives and Records Administration President Lincoln's Cottage, a National Trust Historic Site ✯ White House Historical Association
Presidential Sites and Libraries Conference V
Renewing Ideals and Engaging the Public
Miller Center of Public Affairs
The fifth quadrennial Presidential Sites and Libraries Conference will be held at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, June 21-24, 2010. Here in the heart of Virginia, steeped in the history of Washington’s Mount Vernon, Jefferson’s Monticello, Madison’s
Montpelier, Monroe’s Ash LawnHighland, and Wilson’s Presidential Library in Staunton, Presidential Sites and Libraries directors, government officials, presidential scholars, members of the media, and representatives of institutions engaged in the preservation, restoration, education, and presentation of the life and work of our Presidents will convene to explore the application of the ideals of the Founding Fathers to a rapidly changing world.
Miller Center of Public Affairs
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he 21st Century offers opportunities to renew the ideals of the American republic. We have long elected presidents who demonstrate courage in securing the rights and dignity of our citizens. The election of President Barack H. Obama continues this tradition. This renewal is charged by the spirit of community and service embraced by our millennial generation, and is enhanced by the technological advances which help us to bring the history of our Presidents, the American ideal of democracy in action, and the wonder of the Presidential sites to local visitors and to visitors from around the world.
The years since the last Presidential Sites and Libraries Conference have seen growth in community engagement and service through the creation of stateof-the-art visitor centers, technologically enhanced education outreach, the revitalization of museum exhibits that engage and educate our visitors, increased civic dialogue, and public programs that express many sides of the same issue. Presidential Sites and Libraries are moving forward to encourage this ongoing deliberative conversation by continuing to study Presidential history as it relates to our current conditions, not only to network these important places but to highlight the relevancy and accomplishments of each U.S. President to our country’s history, and provide opportunities for recreation and education for all. Attendees will explore the relevancy of Presidential history in 21st-Century programming, shaping the future of Presidential communities. The Presidency provides a new American perspective through embracing civic engagement and active citizenship using technology and the media in a new era of Presidential communication.
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Pr e s i d e n t i a l S i t e s a n d L i b r a r i e s C o n f e r e n c e V
for attendees to discuss issues having direct impact on their work. The conference is a chance for attendees from public and private organizations and institutions to share, compare, and discuss successes and lessons learned concerning such critical areas as developing a portal to the Presidential community; civic engagement; community collaborations; and new ways to expand methods of management, marketing and the use of technology in the 21st Century.
The Montpelier Foundation
The Montpelier Foundation
The conference, presented by AASLH, the Miller Center of Public Affairs, Monticello, the National Park Service, the National Archives and Records Administration, the White House Historical Association, and President Lincoln’s Cottage, will gather a critical representative group of professionals steeped in experience and vision for the future including historians, government officials, and members of the media who will present ideas and offer the opportunity
The ____________________
National
Archives ____________________
General Information Registration Rates ✯ Early bird - Deadline: May 21, 2010 ✯ Pre-registration - Deadline: June 4 ✯ Onsite
Conference Location $150 $200 $250
Miller Center of Public Affairs
* Registration includes all sessions, breaks, boxed lunches, and evening events on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. There is an additional fee for pre- and post-conference tours.
Conference will be held at Newcomb Hall at the University of Virginia. Bus transportation will be provided between the conference hotel, Newcomb Hall, and evening event sites.
Hotel Information Omni Charlottesville Hotel 235 West Main Street Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 (434) 971-5500 (434) 817-6493 Fax Room rates are $169/night plus Charlottesville hotel tax of 11%. To register, go to www.aaslh.org/pressites and click on the BOOK NOW link. Or call (434) 9715500 and use Group Code 11200105377 or ask for the Presidential Sites and Libraries rate of $169/night. Book by May 31 for reduced rate.
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P R E L I M I NA R Y C O N F E R EN C E S C H EDU L E
The Montpelier Foundation
Renewing Ideals and Engaging the Public
m o n d ay , j u n e 2 1 1:005:00pm
P r e - C o n f e r e n c e To u r – C o s t : $ 3 5
Visit the newly restored home of James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This glorious estate in Orange County, Virginia, was Madison’s lifelong home. In 2003, The Montpelier Foundation began the restoration of the Montpelier mansion to the 1820s home that James and Dolley Madison knew and loved. The architectural restoration was celebrated on Constitution Day, September 17, 2008. Montpelier is a property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. (This tour will also be offered as a Post-Conference tour on Thursday.)
6:308:30pm American Program Bureau, Inc.
Opening Reception
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The Rotunda: University of Virginia On the opening evening of the conference, attendees will gather at the historic Rotunda, Thomas Jefferson’s masterpiece at the heart of the University of Virginia. The evening will begin with an elegant reception on the Rotunda’s South Portico, facing the University’s original “Academical Village.” Following the reception, guests will ascend to the architectural and philosphical model of Mr. Jefferson’s University, the Dome Room, for a special keynote address by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Joseph Ellis. Free guided tours of the Rotunda and the Lawn will be offered throughout the reception.
Pr e s i d e n t i a l S i t e s a n d L i b r a r i e s C o n f e r e n c e V
The Montpelier Foundation
James Madison’s Montpelier
t u e s d ay , j u n e 2 2 9:0010:45am
Conference Opening and General Session
Presidential Oral Histories Scholars from the Miller Center’s Presidential Oral History Program (POHP) will assemble a round-table discussion to examine the history of presidential oral history; what oral history contributes to our knowledge about the presidency; the Miller Center’s distinctive methods of interviewing; the POHP’s relationship to the respective presidential libraries; and the enlarging scope of the Program’s work. They will also have audio available of an interview excerpt to present to the audience. # Chair: Russell L. Riley, Presidential Oral History Program, Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia # Panelists: Michael Nelson, Fulmer Professor of Political Science, Rhodes College and Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia; Bruce Reed, CEO, Democratic Leadership Council and former chief domestic policy advisor to President Bill Clinton; David Alsobrook, Director of the Museum of Mobile and former director of the George H.W. Bush and William J. Clinton Presidential Libraries
10:4511:00am
. Coffee Break ,
11:00am12:15pm
General Session
Presidents and Diversity: 21st-Century Perspectives Utilizing presidential sites and libraries as the nation’s “crossroads” institutions where current scholarship meets public history and visitor expectations, this session will examine how some sites are addressing topics such as race and ethnicity, both in the past and in the present day. # Chair: Nicola Longford, Executive Director, Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza # Panelists: Marsha Mullin, Vice President of Museum Services, The Hermitage, Home of President Andrew Jackson; Bob Wolz, Director, Truman Little White House; Tom Culbertson, Executive Director, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center
12:151:45pm
. Complimentary Boxed Lunch ,
1:453:15pm
✯ Keynote Address ✯
Damien Donck
Jon Meacham
3:153:30pm
Editor of Newsweek magazine and New York Times bestselling author, Meacham is the author of Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship, a chronicle of the wartime relationship between Roosevelt and Churchill and American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation, a historical portrait of the spiritual foundation of America. He edited Voices in Our Blood: America’s Best on the Civil Rights Movement, a collection of distinguished nonfiction about the mid-century struggle against Jim Crow. Meacham’s newest biography, American Lion, is about Andrew Jackson and his White House circle. A bestseller, it was awarded the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Biography.
. Refreshment Break ,
“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” —John F. Kennedy
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t u e s d ay , j u n e 2 2
tuesday breakouts
3:304:45pm
MIller Center of Public Affairs
6:008:00pm
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Breakout Sessions #1:
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Putting Presidents in the Classroom
he Miller Center’s Presidential Recordings Program (PRP) will present on how to use archival materials – namely, presidential recordings – in the classroom to engage students in the study of important aspects of modern American history. Like so many archival materials, in their raw form the presidential recordings are not well suited to classroom use. Through providing materials freely on its website, preparing and publishing transcriptions, and providing historical context, the PRP aims to make the White House recordings accessible. PRP scholars will also share their methods, tools, and experiences of the Program’s pedagogical outreach. # Chair: David Coleman, Associate Professor, Chair, Presidential Recordings Program # Panelists: Marc Selverstone, Associate Professor, Miller Center; Stepanie D. Van Hover, Associate Professor, Curry School of Education; Guian McKee, Associate Professor, Miller Center
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#2:
Partnerships: Additional Resources, New Challenges
ur public increasingly expects high-end technology and access to our institution’s offerings through up-to-date technology on site and through the Internet. Keeping up with these expectations revitalizes our visibility and brings new audiences to our institutions. Institutions look to partners to bring expertise and creativity to projects and to help defray the costs. But what are the realities of creating and maintaining partnerships? How might these collaborations differ between corporate partnerships and university partnerships? In this session, Duke Blackwood will discuss partnering to enhance the museum visitor’s experience at the Reagan Library and Museum. James Roth will detail the issues involved in creating and maintaining partnerships with several corporations to digitize and make available archival records. Paul Resta will discuss the partner’s perspective in an academic environment through The University of Texas at Austin’s partnership with the National Archives Office of Presidential Libraries and the Lyndon Johnson Library and Museum. # Chair: Mary K. Knill, Director of Digital Strategies, Office of Presidential Libraries, National Archives and Records Administration # Panelists: Duke Blackwood, Director, Ronald Reagan Library and Museum; James Roth, Deputy Director, John F. Kennedy Library and Museum; Paul Resta, Director, The University of Texas at Austin Learning Technology Center
#3:
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Presidential Sites & Visitor Centers: Case Studies from the Field
he four presidential sites represented in this session have recently opened spaces to augment the visitor experience at their historic structures. The speakers who hold diverse positions within their organizations will share their experiences planning and creating these centers. Each panelist will address the reasons for making the new facilities, lessons learned from their projects, and thoughts on how to translate what worked well in their experiences to sites of varying sizes and operating budgets. # Chair: Gary Sandling, Vice-President of Visitor Programs and Services Monticello # Panelists: George Rogers, Director of Development, President Lincoln’s Cottage; John Holtzapple, Executive Director, James K. Polk Home; Lynne Hastings, Vice President for Museum Programs, James Madison’s Montpelier
l Reception l
Miller Center of Public Affairs The Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia is a leading public policy institution that serves as a national meeting place to research, reflect, and report on issues of national importance, with special attention to the central role and history of the presidency. On Tuesday evening, attendees will visit the Miller Center for a special reception and presentation on the Center’s historic and ongoing work on the presidency. Guests will have the opportunity to tour the building and grounds of the Miller Center’s home, Faulkner House, a Virginia Historic Landmark built in 1856.
Pr e s i d e n t i a l S i t e s a n d L i b r a r i e s C o n f e r e n c e V
we d n e s d ay , j u n e 2 3
wednesday breakouts
9:0010:15am
Breakout Sessions
New Life in Presidential Places: Reaching Students of All Ages
#1:
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he trend toward exploring new uses for old houses is reaching presidential sites, which have a long history of offering traditional interpretive programming. From low-cost technology delivery systems – such as cell phone tours – to transferring tried-and-true classroom techniques – like costumed performance – to historic homes, this session will explore several new programs that may translate well at your site. Scott Tucker will discuss use of cell phone tours to explore the outside environments surrounding the White House. Courtney Speaker will present on Paths to Freedom: Slavery, Emancipation, and the Power of the President, an elementary school field trip at Decatur House on Lafayette Square. The White House Historical Association has recently established the National Center for White House History at Decatur House and is in the early phases of master planning. Paths to Freedom is a pilot program that allows students to recreate historical scenes using 19th-century interiors as their stage settings. Michelle Pearson will demonstrate a program she created with her students utilizing Google Earth that allows learners to explore their neighborhoods while in search of places associated with the presidency, in this case a trip to Denver by President Eisenhower. # Chair: John Riley, Director of Education and Scholarship Programs, White House Historical Association # Panelists: Scott Tucker, Park Manager, President’s Park, National Park Service; Courtney Speaker, Outreach Educator, White House Historical Association, Washington, D.C.; Michelle Pearson, Hulstrom Options School
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#2:
Objects as Spark Plugs
ndividual possessions of the Founding Fathers gained instant special stature because of their association with “great men.” Antiquarians have revered these objects for two centuries, while stories and attributions have multiplied the supposed relics many times over. Generations of curators have furnished presidential homes, and yet the research continues. Today’s curators are concerned less with specific objects as decorative arts, and more with their meaning within the context of a person’s accomplishments and relevancy in the rapidly changing world of the 21st century. George Washington’s Mount Vernon was preserved for the nation as early as 1858; The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation assumed ownership of Monticello in 1923; and, the Adams Historic Site was designated December 9, 1946. A late arrival, James Madison’s Montpelier was restored and reopened September 17, 2008. Through diverse venues, today’s keepers of presidential legacies are exploring new avenues – employing objects as spark plugs to engage visitors in pertinent, meaningful ways.
# Chair: Lynne Dakin Hastings, Senior Curator and Vice President for Museum Programs, James Madison’s Montpelier # Panelists: Carol Borchert Cadou, Robert H. Smith Senior Curator and Vice President of Collections, Mount Vernon; Marianne Peak, Superintendent, Adams National Historic Site; Susan R. Stein, Richard Gilder Senior Curator and Vice President of Museum Programs, Monticello
#3:
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Engaging Controversial Topics: The Watergate Exhibit at the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
he history of Presidents necessarily involves controversy – some of which is still sensitive today. These controversies challenge our visitors to think critically about the events and examine their own opinions about them. But creating exhibits to tackle controversy in an objective way can create problems for directors and curators. In this session, Sharon Fawcett will discuss the background of bringing the Nixon Library and Museum into the National Archives Presidential Library system, and Tim Naftali will describe how the Nixon Library and Museum undertook an impartial presentation of Watergate through the use of oral histories. Examples of these oral histories will be played to demonstrate the power of the Watergate exhibit. # Chair: Sharon K. Fawcett, Assistant Archivist for the Office of Presidential Libraries, National Archives and Records Administration # Panelist: Tim Naftali, Director, Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
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w e d n e s d ay , j u n e 2 3 10:1510:30am
. Coffee Break ,
10:3011:45am
✯ Keynote Speaker ✯
Miller Center
Michael Beschloss Beschloss has been called “the nation’s leading Presidential historian” by Newsweek. He has written eight books on American Presidents and is NBC News Presidential Historian, as well as contributor to PBS’s The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. His books include The Crisis Years: Kennedy and Khrushchev, 1960-1963; Eisenhower: A Centennial Life; Mayday: Eisenhower, Khrushchev and the U-2 Affair, which was adapted in February 1996 for an episode of the PBS series The American Experience; Kennedy and Roosevelt: The Uneasy Alliance; and At the Highest Levels: The Inside Story of the End of the Cold War with co-author Strobe Talbott. Mr. Beschloss holds degrees from Williams College and Harvard University. He has held appointments in history at the Smithsonian Institution, St. Antony’s College, Oxford University and the Harvard University Russian Research Center.
11:45am1:15pm
. Complimentary Boxed Lunch ,
1:151:45pm
h Buses to Monticello/Ash Lawn h
To u r G r o u p 1 :
Jefferson Library
2:003:30pm
Ash Lawn-Highland Take a private tour of Ash Lawn-Highland, the lovely Albemarle estate of President James Monroe. This tour will include the plantation grounds, the service yard, and outbuildings. Attendees will take an in-depth look at the kitchens, hear a presentation by the open hearth cook, and have the opportunity to meet and talk with a President James Monroe, portrayed by a first-person interpreter.
To u r G r o u p 2 : M o n t i c e l l o Ash Lawn-Highland
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Pr e s i d e n t i a l S i t e s a n d L i b r a r i e s C o n f e r e n c e V
Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies and the Jefferson Library Tour the facilities and learn about the resources of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies (ICJS) and the Jefferson Library. The dual purpose of the ICJS is research and education—to foster Jefferson scholarship and to disseminate its findings. This tour will illuminate the Center’s diverse and multidisciplinary activities. Attendees will also tour the Jefferson Library where they learn about the innovative programs staff have undertaken to dissiminate information on Jefferson’s life, time, and legacies.
w e d n e s d ay , j u n e 2 3 3:305:00pm
To u r G r o u p 1 :
(continued )
Monticello
See Page 8 for tour specifics To u r G r o u p 2 :
Ash Lawn-Highland
See Page 8 for tour specifics
Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center and Smith Education Center Thomas Jefferson Foundation-Monticello
A visit to the Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center and Smith Education Center will begin the evening at Monticello. After nearly a decade of planning, the Center had its Grand Opening on April 15, 2009. The new center serves as the 21st-century gateway to Jefferson’s timeless Monticello, with multiple components that transform the visitor experience by preparing guests for their trips to the historic mountaintop. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore four new exhibitions, an introductory film as well as the Griffin Discovery Room and the classrooms in the Carl and Hunter Smith Education Center. Thomas Sully 1821 life portrait of Jefferson
Monticello Tour
6:007:30pm
As the sun begins to set, attendees will explore the gardens and enjoy a stroll through the Monticello house where they will have an intimate look at the extraordinary house Thomas Jefferson built and furnished for himself and his family. They will see the books, gadgets, art, furnishings, and objects that reveal Jefferson’s unique mind. Outside, they will have the opportunity to discover the beauty and variety of Monticello’s restored flower and vegetable gardens, grove, and orchards.
7:308:30pm
Jefferson Foundation–Mary Porter retouching Go Design
5:006:00pm
✯ Keynote Speaker ✯
Michael Bailey
Annette Gordon-Reed Annette Gordon-Reed, a professor of law at New York Law School since 1992 and winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in History for her book The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, is recognized as one of our country’s most distinguished presidential scholars. Professor GordonReed earned a place in history with her first book, Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy. Building on her earlier study, she wrote the first of two planned volumes of a history of the Hemings family. The first, The Hemingses of Monticello, won multiple awards including the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in history. Gordon-Reed is the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize in history. In addition to the awards listed above, Gordon-Reed has received a Guggenheim Fellowship for Monticello Legacies in the New Age, 2009; a Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Vernon Can Read!, 2002; a Trailblazer Award, Metropolitan Black Bar Association, 2002; Best Nonfiction Book for 2001, Black Caucus of the American Library Association. She was Columbia University’s Barbara A. Black Lecturer, 2001; and won a Bridging the Gap Award for fostering racial reconciliation, 2000.
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t h u rs d ay , j u n e 2 4
The Montpelier Foundation
8:30am12:30pm
James Madison’s Montpelier Visit the newly restored home of James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This glorious 2,650-acre estate in Orange County, Virginia, was Madison’s lifelong home. In 2003 The Montpelier Foundation began the restoration of the Montpelier mansion to the 1820s home that James and Dolley Madison knew and loved. The architectural restoration was celebrated on Constitution Day, September 17, 2008. Montpelier is a property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
8:00am5:00pm
P o s t - C o n f e r e n c e To u r – C o s t : $ 7 5
Mount Vernon Visit the home of George and Martha Washington from the time of their marriage in 1759 until General Washington’s death in 1799. The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association purchased Mount Vernon from the Washington family in 1858 and opened the estate to the public in 1860. Tour the mansion house, outbuildings, gardens, and explore the George Washington: Pioneer Farmer site, a four-acre working farm that includes a recreation of Washington’s 16-sided treading barn. In addition, professionals from Presidential Sites and Libraries are sure to be interested in the new Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center and the Ford Orientation Center. Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon
P o s t - C o n f e r e n c e To u r – C o s t : $ 3 5
“We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience.” —George Washington
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Presidential Sites and Libraries Conference V
Registration Form We will produce the meeting participant list and your name badge directly from this form. Please type or print legibly. All correspondence and written confirmations will be forwarded to the address below. l Please do not include my information in the attendee directory. Nickname/Badge Name ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� First Name_______________________________________ Last Name ���������������������������������������������� Position/Title �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Institution ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Address ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� City_____________________________________________ State__________ Zip_____________ Country ������������������ Phone_______________________________ Email ��������������������������������������������������������������
R e g i s t r at i o n R at e s
P ay m e n t
• Early bird – Deadline: May 21, 2010 150 $ • Pre-registration – Deadline: June 4 200 $ • Onsite 250 Registration includes all sessions and evening events Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and a boxed lunch Tuesday and Wednesday.
All registrations must be prepaid by check or credit card. Please do not send registrations to AASLH officers, members, or meeting representatives for the conference. Send completed Registration Form with payment by:
Registration Type
Attention: PS&L Conference 615.327.9013
$
l Early bird – Deadline: May 21
Amount
l Pre-registration – Deadline: June 4
Total
$
150
$
$
200
$
$
35
$
$
35
$
$
75
$
Tours Monday, June 21
l James Madison’s Montpelier
Fax
AASLH Attention: PS&L Conference 1717 Church St. Nashville, TN 37203
Online
Register at www.aaslh.org/pressites
Confirmation
Thursday, June 24
l James Madison’s Montpelier l Mount Vernon
Registration Amount
$
Tours Amount
$
Total Amount Due
$
You will receive a registration confirmation from AASLH within seven days. If you do not, please call 615.320.3203. AASLH is not responsible for registrations that were faxed or mailed and never received.
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(Make payable to AASLH –PS&L Conference)
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QUESTIONS? Contact AASLH Program Staff at 615.320.3203 R e n e w i n g I d e a s a n d E n g a g i n g t h e Pu b l i c
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Presidential Sites and Libraries Conference V P R E L I M I NA R Y C O N F E R EN C E S C H EDU L E
Save The Date! ✯ june 21-24, 2010 ✯ Charlottesville, Virginia
“A well-instructed people alone can be permanently a free people.” —James Madison
Program Design Gerri Winchell Findley, Go Design, LLC; Front Cover Photo: Dan Addison/U.Va. Public Affairs, retouching Suzanne Pfeil, Go Design; Back Cover Photo: The Montpelier Foundation–Ken Garrett
1717 Church Street • Nashville, TN 37203-2991
Nashville, TN Permit No. 1592