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NATIONAL FIRST LADIES' LIBRARY AND THE SMITHSONIAN JOIN TO SALUTE OUTSTANDING "FIRST WOMEN"
At Second Annual First Ladies Salute First Women
The National First Ladies' Library, the only national institution devoted to the serious contributions of first ladies and other important women in American history, and the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, today celebrated the achievements and contributions of five outstanding women at a gala awards dinner here that included Cokie Roberts of ABC Television as Mistress of Ceremonies.
Althea Gibson, the first African American to win both the Wimbledon and U.S. Open tennis championships and the first African American to hold an LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) card; Frankie Hewitt, the producing artistic director of Ford's Theatre, who established it as a living memorial to a beloved President; Antonia Novello, M.D., the first woman and first Hispanic to serve as United States Surgeon General; Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space; and Helen Thomas, the first female president of the White House Correspondents Association, the first female officer of the National Press Club and the first female member -- later president -- of the Gridiron Club, were cited for their leadership roles in forging new opportunities for women through their achievements as "first" in their field.
"The First Ladies Salute First Women was conceived by the National First Ladies' Library to recognize and honor the important contributions of exceptional women who have achieved prominence in their field," said Mary Regula, founder and president of the Library. "We salute these women and celebrate their individual and collective impact on women's roles globally," she said.
The proceeds from this year's event will benefit the exhibition First Ladies: Political Role and Public Image at the National Museum of American History.
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, through a videotaped message, commended the awardees for the inspiration they have provided women of the world through their ever-present professionalism, creativity and dedication to expanding and broadening the roles and opportunities for women.
Althea Gibson, cited for her leadership in creating opportunities for minority athletes, was unable to attend the ceremony due to health reasons. Ms. Fran Clayton-Gray, CEO of the Althea Gibson Foundation, received the award for Ms. Gibson on her behalf. In 1957 and 1958, Althea won both the All-England Championships at Wimbledon and the U.S. National Tennis Championships at Forest Hills. After retiring from tennis, Ms. Gibson launched a professional golf career and became the first African American to earn a Ladies Professional Golf Association card. She later served as the Athletic and Boxing Commissioner for the State of New Jersey. "My dream is for all children to be educated and introduced to tennis and golf," said Ms. Gibson. She has paved the way for the likes of Venus and Serena Williams and Tiger Woods. Ms. Gibson is now retired and resides in New Jersey.
Frankie Hewitt has been the driving force behind the dynamic, new chapter in the history of Ford's Theatre for more than three decades. "No person in Washington owes a greater debt to the First Ladies who have served these past 35 years than I do," said Ms. Hewitt. In 1965, Ms. Hewitt began the process of revitalizing Ford's, the theatre where President Lincoln was shot. Beginning with Lady Bird Johnson, through Mrs. Nixon, Mrs. Eisenhower, Mrs. Carter, Mrs. Reagan, Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Clinton, she was able to secure the necessary funding; create a solid endowment fund; and establish a live theatre program which continues to flourish today. Ms. Hewitt was uniquely prepared for the position she was to assume as the theatre's executive producer. Her years in Washington as a legislative specialist, head staffer of a Senate investigating subcommittee, and her stint as a special assistant to Adlai E. Stevenson at the United Nations helped in the monumental task of transforming the theatre from a "monument of tragedy" to a successful, living theatre -- and one of "America's most valued treasures".
Dr. Antonia Novello has brought to her work a strong empathy for people without power in society and has used her position to alleviate suffering especially for women and children. Trained as a pediatric nephrologist and recently awarded a doctorate in public health, Dr. Novello has worked in both private practice and public service, including serving from 1978 - 1999 with the U.S. Public Health Service. In 1987 she was named coordinator for pediatric AIDS research at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development after having chaired the Department of Health and Human Services' first report on HIV/AIDS and children. During her tenure at the Child Health Institute, she served as Deputy Director of the Institute and became co-chair of the Women's Health Task Force at the NIH as well. In 1990 she was appointed U.S. Surgeon General by President Bush. Dr. Novello found new opportunities for Hispanic/Latin Americans to participate in health issues and was instrumental in the development of the Hispanic/Latino Health Agenda for the nation. She has constantly worked to raise national awareness in the medical profession about the domestic violence epidemic in America, and has worked to elevate public consciousness about underage drinking and alcohol abuse in the young. Dr. Novello currently serves as Commissioner of Health for the State of New York.
In 1978, Oceanographer Dr. Kathryn D. Sullivan became a mission specialist astronaut. On her very first spaceflight in October 1984, Dr. Sullivan became the first American woman to walk in space. She flew on the Hubble Space Telescope deployment mission in 1990, and in 1992 was the Payload commander for the ATLAS-1 Spacelab mission. After leaving NASA, Dr. Sullivan became the Chief Scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In 1996, she was named President and CEO of the Center of Science & Industry (COSI), a dynamic center of hands-on science learning. She is currently a Captain (sel) in the U.S. Naval Reserve and the recipient of many national honors. In reminiscing on her accomplishment, Dr. Sullivan said, "The view form orbit is something I wish I could share with everyone on earth. Yes, the quite amazing sight of land and ocean sliding between my boots as I 'hung' off the obiter, but also the new perspective I gained on humankind, on the vital importance of grand challenges - both individual and collective - and on our precious home planet. Since leaving NASA I've tried to bring the power of these experiences to education and public policy in ways that create similar moments of new insight and understanding."
From her earliest years, Helen Thomas wanted to be a reporter. Assigned to the White House press corps in 1961, she became the first woman to close a press conference with "Thank you, Mr. President." Donnie Radcliffe, a noted journalist who presented the award to Ms. Thomas stated, "Helen is a first lady of many dimensions and being the first journalist to win this award from the National First Ladies' Library is a great honor for all of the female journalists in this country." Ms. Thomas is the recipient of more than twenty honorary degrees and has been honored with a number of awards for outstanding journalism. In 1998, she was the first recipient of the prize established in her name by the White House Correspondents Association: The Helen Thomas Lifetime Award. She is the author of several books and lives in Washington, D.C.
The First Ladies Salute First Women award was designed by Tiffany & Co. Each award is a slant-cut full-lead crystal prism. The front of the award features an inscription that reads "First Ladies Salute First Women" and the honoree's name. An etching of Dolley Madison's image, the first presidential spouse to be called "the first lady", is on the back of the prism.
"We are honored to have created this special award for the National First Ladies' Library and to be a part of this important historical occasion," said Michael J. Kowalski, president and chief executive officer of Tiffany & Co.
Major sponsors of the National First Ladies' Library include BP Amoco; Bristol-Myers Squibb; The Coca-Cola Company; Dominion Foundation; Enron; Fannie Mae Foundation; General Motors Corporation; Hallmark Cards, Inc.; The Hoover Company, a division of Maytag Corporation; The Limited, Inc.; The Longaberger Company; Microsoft Corporation; Northern Telecom; The Procter & Gamble Company; Shell Oil Company; Texaco Inc.; The Timken Company; USX Corporation; Wal-Mart Foundation; and VISA.
First Ladies Curriculum Pilot Project
One of the goals of the National First Ladies' Library is to develop a curriculum on first ladies that can be incorporated into our school systems. The curriculum will be developed on three levels: elementary, middle and high schools, and will contain a study unit on each first lady.
Over the past six months, a pilot unit was developed on Lucy Webb Hayes on the elementary level by the Library and with the help of Kent State University personnel. This pilot was tested this spring in 12-4th grade classrooms from 10 different school systems. Early reports from the teachers involved have been very positive. A complete evaluation will be complete this summer.
Dr. Averil McClelland, Coordinator of Cultural Foundations, and Bette Brooks, Graduate Assistant, both from Kent State University, developed the unit for the National First Ladies' Library. The unit contains a biographical sketch on Lucy Hayes, general information about the period in which she lived including a timeline, a bibliography for further research, activities that can be completed by the students, and links to other relevant web sites.
Lucy Hayes was chosen as the subject of the first unit of study for a variety of reasons. She was an Ohio-born First Lady, she was the first First Lady to earn a college degree, and she lived in an exciting time in history.
Sue Platt served as our curriculum consultant. Sue set up an advisory board of educators and administrators to give guidance to the pilot. She also contacted the schools that would participate in the pilot project. Both public and private; as well as inner-city, rural and suburban schools were selected, from both large and small school districts in the Stark County and surrounding areas.
The unit is designed for flexibility - it can be used for as few as several days, up to several weeks. Many of the teachers in the pilot project used the unit extensively - one class was instructed to write a research paper on a first lady other than Lucy Hayes; another class wrote and illustrated a book on Lucy Hayes.
Work on the second unit of study, to be tested possibly at the middle-school level, will be started this summer after the evaluation on the first unit is complete.
Education and Research Center Update
Preparation plans and the capital drive continue for the renovation of the City National Bank Building that will become the National First Ladies’ Library Education and Research Center.
Gaede and Serne Architects, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio are currently working on the construction set of drawings, the final set of drawings needed before the bidding process takes place. As they complete each phase of the plans, the budget is revised. At this point, the estimated budget is $5 million. This would include exterior renovation of the entire building, and interior renovation, along with equipment and furnishings, for the four floors the National First Ladies' Library will occupy. A second phase of the renovation, which will include interior renovation of the upper three floors of the building, is estimated to cost $500,000.
Gaede and Serne Architects, Inc. have extensive experience in historic renovation. They have been involved in prominent historic renovation projects throughout the state.
The environmental cleanup company, Hazard Management Group, Inc. of Ashtabula, will soon complete their work. They have removed all the hazardous materials from each floor and are now breaking up and removing the large, old boiler in the basement that is lined with asbestos. The job should be complete by the end of July.
If progress continues at its current pace, the National First Ladies’ Library Board should be able to begin the bidding process by early fall and have construction started by late fall.
We have been working hard to match the $2.5 million match funds grant we received last winter from the U.S. Department of Interior. In addition to the anonymous grant of $250,000 that we received last summer, we have also been granted:
- $500,000 - State of Ohio
- $250,000 - City of Canton
Late this spring, a proposal was presented to the Capital Campaigns Committee that helps the local foundations determine capital projects that they should fund in our Stark County Community. The Committee endorsed a $1,000,000 grant from the local foundations. We have recently applied to these foundations for these funds.
The National First Ladies' Library is planning a membership drive starting in the late summer. A new membership brochure has been designed and printed, and will be mailed to all current and past members, as well as prospective members.
All members will receive the National First Ladies' Library newsletter and a 10% discount at the Library's gift shop. The membership categories are as follows:
- $50 Member
- $100 Inaugural Circle
- $250 Ida Saxton McKinley Circle
- $500 Executive Circle
- $1,000 First Ladies' Inner Circle - donors receive invitations to national NFLL events, and a special gift with annual membership renewal, as well as the newsletter and a 10% discount at the Library's gift shop
- $5,000 - $10,000 Heritage Circle - donors receive invitations to NFLL national events, may make special arrangements for their guests for a private tour of the Library with a costumed docent, and receive a special gift with annual membership renewal, as well as the newsletter and a 10% discount at the Library's gift shop
Special thanks to Linda Moorhouse and Veronica Sirpilla who worked on the membership committee and had the brochure designed and printed.
The Library continues to enjoy the donation of artifacts and other period pieces for use in the Saxton McKinley House. Among our newest acquisitions are:
Silver Tea Service - this beautiful silver service was an anonymous donation by a friend of the Library. It was purchased post World War II and has five pieces plus a tray. The serving pieces were made by Hampton Court. A 1982 appraisal of this set gave it a value of $2,600.
Artifacts from the Craig Schermer Collection - Mr. and Mrs. William K. Haines, Sr. have donated over 50 items that they purchased from Craig Schermer's extensive collection. Included in this extraordinary collection are signed photos of Grace Coolidge, Hillary Clinton, Frances Cleveland, Helen Taft, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Mamie Eisenhower, Pat Nixon and Lady Bird Johnson, and written and signed cards and letters by Edith Roosevelt, Harriet Lane, Ellen Wilson, Mamie Eisenhower, and Lady Bird Johnson.
45-Star Flag - DeFrance Thomas donated a 45-star flag for the "shrine" table in the sitting room. According to Mary Regula, a 48-star flag was originally draped on the table because no 45-star flag was available. Many thanks to De Thomas for donating this historically accurate flag.
We are extremely grateful to have such generous friends of the library.
Our gift shop continues to expand. Newer items include a Cornerstones of Freedom First Ladies book, a reproduction dessert plate from the Harrison administration, logo pencils, and a porcelain teapot and trinket box decorated with the artwork of First Lady Lucy Webb Hayes.
Other items planned for the near future are the 2000 holiday ornament featuring Martha Washington, which will be the second in our first ladies series, a pewter collector spoon, and a canvas bag.
Remember that our gift shop items make great gifts!
Author Lecture and Book-Signing Slated for November
Noted First Ladies Author and Historian Carl S. Anthony will conduct a lecture and book signing in Canton on November 5, 2000. Mr. Anthony will be in town to promote his new book, America's First Families.
The event will be held at the Canton Palace Theatre on November 5th at 6:00 p.m. Following the lecture, copies of the book, signed by Mr. Anthony, will be available for sale.
Carl Sferrazza Anthony is the author of several other books on First Ladies, including the two-volume First Ladies; As We Remember Her: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis In The Words of Her Friends and Family; and Florence Harding: First Lady, The Jazz Age and the Death of America's Most Scandalous President. He provides frequent media commentary on the subject of first ladies. His work has appear in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, George, American Heritage, Details, Town & Country, Cigar Aficionado, Smithsonian and Vanity Fair. Carl also developed the 40,000-entry bibliography on first ladies that resides on the National First Ladies' Library web site.
Following the lecture, there will be a private reception held during which Carl will personally autograph copies of his book.
National First Ladies' Library Will Co-Sponsor Art Exhibit
The National First Ladies' Library and the Canton Art Institute will co-sponsor an exhibit of paintings by noted Watercolorist Kay Smith from Chicago, Illinois. The exhibit will open with a private reception on October 14, 2000 and will run through October 28, 2000.
These extraordinary watercolors by Kay Smith depict American historical scenes and sites. The exhibit will contain approximately 65 works from Ms. Smith's American Legacy Collection.
Kay Smith, named Artist Laureate of Illinois in 1994, is an exuberant watercolorist whose wide range of experience includes The American Legacy Collection, watercolors of cityscapes and historic tableaux that hang in the Illinois Governor's Mansion, schools and other public buildings, fine art, advertising art, book illustration and design. She has illustrated more than a dozen books in subjects that range from children's poems and stories to culinary arts, from jacket and cover design to large double spread full color paintings of historic scenes.
Kay Smith is the first artist to be awarded the coveted George Washington Honor Medal from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge. She is an alumnus of Chicago's School of the Art Institute where she was awarded the Elizabeth Skinner Scholarship.
Several notable guests are expected for the opening night reception, including Mrs. Lura Lynn Ryan, First Lady of Illinois.
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