The Founders Illuminated
Saturday, December 7, 2024
9 AM to 5 PM
The Williamsburg Regional Library Theatre
515 Scotland Street, Williamsburg, VA 23185
$95 per person
Join us for a Grand Illuminating Symposium where expert historians will discuss six essential American founders.
Lunch will be served at The Hound's Tale with food provided by Aromas Cafe
Dr. Joseph Warren . . . . . . . . . .
George Washington . . . . . . .
Martha Washington . . . . . . . . . . .
Richard Henry Lee . . . . . . . . . .
Ethan Allen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Patrick Henry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Christian Di Spigna
Dr. Edward G. Lengel
Elizabeth Mauer
Dr. Gordon Steffey
Dr. Bruce M. Venter
Stephen Wilson
For more information on
Grand Illumination, click here.
The Details:
Dr. Edward G. Lengel: "First Among Many Founders: George Washington Guides the Revolution to Victory"​​​
Edward G. Lengel is an award-winning historian and educator. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, where he directed the Washington Papers Project for many years, and subsequently worked in senior positions in the public history field. Also a professional author, speaker and battlefield tour guide, Lengel has written fourteen books on American history. These include the official history of Colonial Williamsburg; General George Washington: A Military Life; To Conquer Hell: The Meuse-Argonne, 1918; and Never in Finer Company: The Men of the Great War’s Lost Battalion. Lengel is a co-recipient of the National Humanities Medal and has won two writing awards from the Army Historical Foundation. He makes frequent television and radio appearances.
Elizabeth Mauer: "There Were Founding Mothers Too: Martha Washington Supports the Revolution."
Liz Maurer is the Chief of Programs & Education at the National Museum of the United States Army. With an M.A. in Museum Education from George Washington University, Liz seamlessly blends historical knowledge with learning theory. Her expertise lies in integrated project management, guiding teams in audience development, exhibit planning, and communications strategies. Before joining the Army Museum, Liz held various roles in education, operations, and collections at notable institutions like Colonial Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, the National Women's History Museum, and the DEA Museum. She's a former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Museum Education and currently teaches at the George Washington University. From elementary schools to the United Nations, Liz has engaged audiences with the American experience. She's been featured on NPR, PBS, and the New York Times.
Dr. Gordon Steffey: "'Better known than acknowledged': Richard Henry Lee and the American Cause"
Dr. Gordon Blaine Steffey has earned degrees from Saint Olaf College, Yale University, and the University of Virginia. He joined Stratford Hall in 2022 after nearly 20 years of teaching at Randolph College in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he held an endowed chair in Comparative Philosophy. There Dr. Steffey won the top prize in undergraduate teaching from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges. At Stratford Hall, Dr. Steffey is the Director of Research and the Jessie Ball duPont Memorial Library. His role is to preserve and to produce knowledge about the multiple generations and communities who called Stratford home and to highlight their incredible contributions to the founding of our country. Dr. Steffey is currently under contract with the University of Kentucky for a book on Stratford Hall, and he may be heard monthly on the podcast Stratford Mail.
Dr. Bruce M. Venter: "Rough-hewn and Enigmatic Founder: Ethan Allen Does Some Crazy Things"
Dr. Bruce M. Venter lives in Goochland County, Virginia. He is president of America’s History, LLC, a tour and conference company. The company’s annual conference on the American Revolution is considered the premier symposium for Revolutionary War enthusiasts, public historians and scholars. Bruce is currently vice-chairman of the Dr. Joseph Warren Foundation and was recently appointed to the Saratoga County 250th Commission. Bruce has authored two non-fiction books. Kill Jeff Davis: Union Raid on Richmond in 1864 was published by the University of Oklahoma Press. In 2019 a Smithsonian Channel documentary film, based on this book, aired under the title “Targeting Jefferson Davis” with Bruce appearing on screen as a consulting historian. His The Battle of Hubbardton: The Rear-Guard Action that Saved America was selected as one of the “100 Best Books on the American Revolution” by the editors of the Journal of the American Revolution.
Stephen Wilson: "Give me liberty or give me death! One of America's most important speeches celebrates its 250th anniversary."
Stephen Wilson is Executive Director at the St. John’s Church Foundation, a 501©(3) nonprofit organization established in 1938 whose mission is to spark a global appreciation for understanding the role that Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death!” speech had in setting America on its path to liberty for all, and to ignite the public’s interest in preserving the historic site where it happened.
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He has been at St. John’s Church Foundation since 2019. He served for two years as the organization’s first Director of Development and was named Executive Director in 2021.
His nonprofit board experience includes Peter Paul RVA, the Richard Bland College Foundation, the Petersburg Area Art League, and Crater Community Hospice. He also serves on the Board of Managers for the Richmond Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).
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He has earned degrees from the University of Mary Washington and Richard Bland College of William and Mary, and he holds a certificate in Sustainable Urban Agriculture from Virginia State University.
Christian Di Spigna: "Founding Martyr: Dr. Joseph Warren, the American Revolution's Lost Hero"​​​​​​​
Christian Di Spigna is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from Columbia University. He authored the nonfiction biography, "Founding Martyr: The Life and Death of Dr. Joseph Warren, the American Revolution's Lost Hero." Christian is the Executive Director of the Dr. Joseph Warren Foundation, serves on the board of the Charlestown Historical Society and is a member of the Bunker Hill Monument Association. He is the nation's leading expert on Dr. Joseph Warren.