New Visiting Historian Speaks on 'Jefferson and Slavery' at Washington College

Chestertown, MD — Award-winning historian Henry Wiencek, newly arrived in Chestertown for a year's residence as Washington College's first-ever Patrick Henry Fellow, will share little-known stories about the daily experience of slavery at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello on Monday, September 8, at 4:30 p.m., in the Casey Academic Center Forum.

Wiencek, whose honors include the National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography and theLos Angeles Times Book Prize in History, is the first recipient of the highly competitive new fellowship, which is provided by the College's C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, and co-sponsored by the Rose O'Neill Literary House.

The Patrick Henry Fellowship offers a yearlong residency to authors engaged in innovative work on America's founding era and its legacy. As part of the fellowship award, Wiencek and his wife, writer Donna Lucey, are residing in the heart of Chestertown's colonial historic district, in the newly restored 1735 Buck-Chambers House, now the Patrick Henry Fellows' Residence. He will use the fellowship year in Chestertown to complete his forthcoming book about the master of Monticello and the men, women, and children whose labor was the lifeblood of the estate.

"We've seen Jefferson's relations with slaves entirely through the eyes of Sally Hemings and her family," Wiencek said. "But she was just one of 600 slaves at Monticello. Life for the Hemings family was one thing. Life for those laboring farther down the hill was quite different."

For the past three years, Wiencek has immersed himself in Jefferson's papers and plantation documents, in the oral histories of slave descendants, in Ablemarle County court records, and in the papers of Jefferson's extended family. Drawing also on recent archaeological discoveries at Monticello, he has documented the everyday realities of life on Jefferson's mountain. The book is under contract with Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

A resident of Charlottesville, Va., Wiencek is perhaps best known for An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America, which was published in 2003 to superlative reviews and named Best Book of that year by the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic. The historian Gordon Wood, writing in the New York Times, called it "superb" and the Washington Post said, "It must be read by all who wish to understand early America."

Wiencek has written and/or edited more than a dozen books. The Hairstons: An American Family in Black and White (St. Martin's, 1999)—the epic story of two extended southern families who share a surname and a legacy, though one is black and the other white—was a selection of the Book of the Month Club and the History Book Club. "Not since Mary Chesnut's Civil War has nonfiction about the South been as compelling as fiction," wrote a reviewer for Time magazine.

"I can't think of a better person to be the inaugural recipient of the new Patrick Henry Fellowship than Henry Wiencek," said Adam Goodheart, Hodson Trust-Griswold Director of the Starr Center. "His work exemplifies everything that we had hoped the Henry Fellowship would stand for: innovative research, brilliant writing, and a commitment to grappling with some of the biggest and most difficult subjects in American history." The Henry Fellowship's funding will be permanently endowed as part of a $2.5 million challenge grant package that the National Endowment for the Humanities awarded last year through its nationwide "We the People" initiative, dedicated to strengthening the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture. Wiencek will teach a spring course at Washington College.

Wiencek's September 8 lecture, "A Paradox to Posterity: Jefferson and Slavery at Monticello," offers a unique opportunity to hear from one of the most insightful commentators on the American past—and present—writing today, as well as peek inside the process of researching a major work of history. A book signing and reception will follow; admission is free and open to the public.

About the C.V. Starr Center

The C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience explores our nation's history—and particularly the legacy of its Founding era—in innovative ways. Through educational programs, scholarship, and public outreach, and especially by supporting and fostering the art of written history, the Starr Center seeks to bridge the divide between past and present, and between the academic world and the public at large. From its base in the circa-1746 Custom House along Chestertown's colonial waterfront, the Center also serves as a portal onto a world of opportunities for Washington College students. Its guiding principle is that now more than ever, a wider understanding of our shared past is fundamental to the continuing success of America's democratic experiment. For more information on the Center and on the Patrick Henry Fellowship, visit http://starrcenter.washcoll.edu.

August 22, 2008

Statement from Washington College President Baird Tipson regarding the Amethyst Initiative

Along with more than 100 college and university presidents nationwide, I have signed my name to the Amethyst Initiative statement. Launched this past July, the Amethyst Initiative is made up of higher education leaders from across the United States who support a thoughtful, measured public debate on lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18.

Alcohol is a pervasive aspect of American campus life, an integral part of student socializing. A significant number of our underage students—men, women, Greek, non-Greek—drink, drink often, and believe they have a right to drink. To them the current law is hypocritical, and its existence undermines the respect that all citizens ought to have for any law.

The 21-year-old drinking age has created a dangerous student culture of clandestine drinking. I believe that young people old enough to defend their country and to vote are old enough to consume alcohol responsibly. The 21-year-old drinking age prevents us from modeling responsible drinking. We need to begin a conversation about the legal age at which people may purchase and consume alcohol.

Baird Tipson
President
Washington College

August 19, 2008

Pre-Orientation Trip Documentary Premier Screening

August 20
7:00 pm Social Time Cash Bar///Hors d'oeuvres
7:30 pm Documentary Screening

Sponsored by the Student Development Office and Orientation

This year we have four trips that a portion of our new students are participating in. For the first time a documentary will be created of all the trips by students under the direction of Brian Palmer. The following trips are happening this year and will be featured in the documentary:

• "Sail the Sultana - History on the Water"
• "Land and Sea Adventure - Kayaking, Fishing and Boating and Rock Climbing"
• Echo Hill Outdoor School "Experience the Chester River Eastern Shore Style"
• "Filmmaking and Photography Bootcamp"

Come and meet new students and their parents and see our first Pre-Orientation Trip Documentary!

To assist in planning enough food for the event, please kindly RSVP to Beth Anne Roy by Monday, August 18 if you are able to attend.

August 14, 2008

Oyster Float Workshop August 9

Chestertown, MD — The Center for Environment & Society at Washington College and the Friends of Eastern Neck, Inc, will host an Oyster Float Workshop on the lawn of the Custom House in Chestertown on Saturday, August 9, at 10:00 AM. Program coordinator Mark Wiest will go over all of the basics on how to start an "oyster garden" on local tributaries.

The creation, maintenance and monitoring of oyster floats—known as Taylor floats—are part of oyster restoration projects on the Chester River and at Eastern Neck Island. The floats provide an ideal habitat for oysters as they grow from a small "spat on shell" to a year-old oyster. At that point, hundreds of oysters from each float will be introduced to existing oyster bars on upper Chesapeake Bay.

If you do not have waterfront access from your own property, but still want to get your feet in the water, then come aboard as a volunteer monitor. Volunteers are needed to help with data collection on oyster growth and mortality at the College's test sites in Comegys Bight and at Eastern Neck Island. Opportunities are also available through the Adopt-A-Spat program, where people can feel great about supporting oyster awareness and stewardship on the Chester without dealing with the barnacles, algae and flatworms.

The event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required by August 8. To register, and for more information, call 410/778-7295 or contact mwiest2@washcoll.edu.

August 4, 2008

Washington College Rallies Support for Relay for Life

Chestertown, MD — The Kent County Relay for Life is a community gathering where everyone can participate in the fight against cancer. The Relay begins at the Kent County High School Track, in Worton, Maryland, on September 5 at 6 p.m. and concludes September 6th at 10:00 a.m. Support the faculty, staff, student, and alumni participants from Washington College in their effort to raise funds for the American Cancer Society through donations or by attending the event. Check the progress of the campus community members who are participating in this year's Relay for Life.

If you are interested in participating or volunteering during the Relay, or to make a donation, please contact Tessa Duquette in the Campus Events Office in Bunting Hall, 410-778-7888 or e-mail her at tduquette2@washcoll.edu.

Schedule for the Kent County Relay for Life

Friday, September 5, 2008

6:00 p.m. The Survivors Lap
The traditional cancer survivor lap is everyone who has survived cancer. They will take the ceremonial first lap around the track. Once the survivors go half way around the track, family members and caretakers may join the survivors for the second half of the lap. Upon finishing the lap, you and your loved ones are invited to the survivor reception.

7:00 p.m. The Relay officially begins!

7:00 p.m.
Silent Auction begins.

7:30 p.m.
Cherae Ensor (a local Zumba instructor), and friends will be performing several Zumba dances on the mainstage. If you've gone to her classes, and want to participate, please come and join the fun!

8:30 p.m. The Luminaria Ceremony
Luminarias (bags with candles inside them) can celebrate the surviorship of people who have battled cancer, or also can commemorate the lives of those who have been lost to the disease. All represent a person who has profoundly affected by cancer and the family and friends who will continue to be touched by that experience. The lighting of the luminaries will happen at dusk.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

6:00 a.m.
If you happen to be at the track this early in the morning, please come and join Mike Duquette, at the Mainstage, for a morning "power hour" (stretching, warming up - and possibly waking up!)

8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Come and take a Zumba class!
Cherae Ensor will be teaching a Zumba class on the mainstage. Zumba is a fun and effective latin dance fitness program.

10:30 a.m. The Relay's Closing Ceremony

The Raffle!

As part of a campus effort to raise money, tickets for several raffle prizes, will be sold for $1.00 raffle in the Campus Events Office in Bunting Hall. Beginning on Monday, August 25th, the raffle tickets will also be sold in the Dining Pavilion during lunch hours (11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.).

• A vase from Rachel's Flower Power
• A framed photo of the Chestertown Waterfront from Finishing Touch
• Vera Bradley Bag from the Washington College Bookstore
• Vera Bradley mousepad and notepad from the Bookstore
• Vera Bradley wallet from the Bookstore
• (6) Zumba classes with Cherae Ensor at the Kent Athletic Center
• A bouquet of flowers from Galena Blooms (redeemed at the Chestertown Farmers Market)

The drawing for the raffle and the announcement of which class has won the Penny Wars will take place at the Relay for Life, on Friday, September 5, at 8:00 p.m.

July 30, 2008

Friends of Eastern Neck Join Forces with Washington College

Chestertown, MD — The Center for Environment & Society at Washington College has received a grant award of $8,400 from Friends of Eastern Neck, Inc., to assist with stewardship programs at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge. The total program cost is $15,058, with the Center contributing $6,658.

Funding will support a small-scale oyster restoration project and allow the Center to make a significant leap forward in developing program offerings to engage students, Friends of Eastern Neck volunteers, and visitors to Eastern Neck Island in the interdisciplinary study of the Bay.

The six-month-long project unites the two groups as they collaborate with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wye Research & Education Center, Horn Point Lab, and others in conservation science, education, and outreach programs.

"We are very excited by the potential of this project," says CES Director John Seidel, "and we believe it is essential to engaging volunteers and stakeholders, promoting stewardship of the Refuge, and educating people about benthic habitat."

The Center for Environment & Society works to instill a conservation ethic by connecting people to the land and water. It supports interdisciplinary research and education, exemplary stewardship of natural and cultural resources, and the integration of ecological and social values. For more information, visit ces.washcoll.edu or call 410-778-7295.

The Friends of Eastern Neck, Inc. is a non-profit organization that supports the missions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Eastern Neck NWR through financial, advocacy, and volunteer support. To learn more about volunteer opportunities through the Friends of Eastern Neck, Inc. visit www.fws.gov/northeast/easternneck/ or call (410) 639-7056.

July 23, 2008

Award-Winning Historian Henry Wiencek Named Washington College's First Patrick Henry Fellow

Chestertown, MD — He is a renowned author, a prodigious researcher, and a compelling speaker, whose work has been praised by literary critics and academic historians alike. And now Henry Wiencek, whose honors include the National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in History, has been named the first Patrick Henry Fellow at Washington College, launching a new program that will provide annual writing fellowships to nationally prominent historians.

The highly competitive new fellowship, which is provided by the College's C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, offers a yearlong residency to authors doing innovative work on America's founding era and its legacy. The fellowship's funding will be permanently endowed as part of a $2.5 million challenge grant package that the National Endowment for the Humanities awarded last year through its nationwide "We the People" initiative, dedicated to strengthening the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture. As part of the fellowship award, Wiencek and future recipients will live in a newly restored 1735 house in the heart of Chestertown's colonial historic district.

Wiencek, who will teach a class at the College and be involved in many of its programs, will have an office at the Starr Center, just down the street from the Patrick Henry Fellows' Residence in Chestertown's 18th-century Custom House. He will use the fellowship year to complete a forthcoming book about Thomas Jefferson and his slaves.

"It is an honor indeed to be the first Patrick Henry Fellow," said Wiencek, whose book is under contract to be published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux. "With its dynamism and imaginative leadership, the C.V. Starr Center is becoming a major force in the study of American history, and I very much look forward to being a contributor to the excellent work going on there."

Wiencek, who lives in Charlottesville, Va., is perhaps best known for An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America, which Farrar, Straus & Giroux published in 2003 to superlative reviews and which was named Best Book of that year by the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic. The historian Gordon Wood, writing in the New York Times, called it "superb" and the Washington Post said, "It must be read by all who wish to understand early America."

"I can't think of a better person to be the inaugural recipient of this fellowship than Henry Wiencek," said Adam Goodheart, Hodson Trust-Griswold Director of the Starr Center. "His work exemplifies everything that we had hoped the Henry Fellowship would stand for: innovative research, brilliant writing, and a commitment to grappling with some of the biggest and most difficult subjects in American history."

Wiencek has written and/or edited more than a dozen books. The Hairstons: An American Family in Black and White (St. Martin's, 1999)—the epic story of two extended Virginia families who share a surname and a legacy, though one is black and the other white—was a selection of the Book of the Month Club and the History Book Club. "Not since Mary Chesnut's Civil War has nonfiction about the South been as compelling as fiction," wrote a reviewer for Time magazine.

His work-in-progress, on Jefferson and his slaves, promises to shed new light on a subject that has received much attention, but often only through the narrow prism of the Sally Hemings controversy or the intellectual paradox of Jefferson's views on race and liberty. Wiencek has done major new archival research and drawn on archaeological discoveries to document the daily experience of slavery at Monticello. "We've seen Jefferson's relations with slaves entirely through the eyes of Sally Hemings and her family," Wiencek said. "But she was just one of 600 slaves at Monticello. Life for the Hemings family was one thing. Life for those laboring farther down the hill was quite different." Wiencek will give two public lectures on his work during the fellowship year, the first on September 8.

In this inaugural year, the Henry Fellowship drew applications from a number of nationally renowned historians. By supporting writers who are completing books on this period, the Patrick Henry Fellowship is meant to encourage reflection on the links between American history and contemporary culture, and to foster the literary art of historical writing. The fellowship is co-sponsored by the Rose O'Neill Literary House, Washington College's center for literature and the creative arts. The Henry Fellowship complements the George Washington Book Prize, which is also administered by the Starr Center and awarded annually to an author whose work advances public understanding of the Revolution and its legacy.

The restored Patrick Henry Fellows' Residence will be opened with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 18, shortly after Wiencek and his wife, Donna Lucey—also a writer on history, whose books include Archie and Amélie: Love and Madness in the Gilded Age(Macmillan, 2006)—move in. The College bought the house in January 2007 with a $1.05 million gift from the Barksdale-Dabney-Patrick Henry Family Foundation, established by the Nuttle family of Talbot County, direct descendants of the patriot Patrick Henry. The gift has also allowed the house to be extensively restored and furnished, and will endow its longterm maintenance. Known as the Buck-Chambers House, it is one of the oldest buildings in Chestertown, and has historic connections with Washington College stretching back to the 1780s. An early owner, Gen. Benjamin Chambers, who had served as an officer in the Revolutionary army under George Washington, became the College's first treasurer in 1782, and later served as president of its Board of Visitors and Governors.

About the C.V. Starr Center

The C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience explores our nation's history—and particularly the legacy of its Founding era—in innovative ways. Through educational programs, scholarship, and public outreach, and especially by supporting and fostering the art of written history, the Starr Center seeks to bridge the divide between past and present, and between the academic world and the public at large. From its base in the circa-1746 Custom House along Chestertown's colonial waterfront, the Center also serves as a portal onto a world of opportunities for Washington College students. Its guiding principle is that now more than ever, a wider understanding of our shared past is fundamental to the continuing success of America's democratic experiment. For more information on the Center and on the Patrick Henry Fellowships, visit http://starrcenter.washcoll.edu.

About the The Rose O'Neill Literary House

The Rose O'Neill Literary House, hub of Washington College's writing community, is the venue for co-curricular activities that bring together students and faculty with visiting writers, scholars, editors and other literary artists. The creative writing culture here is grounded in the College's longstanding commitment to foster good writing across all disciplines, and to connect students and faculty to the wider culture of literature and the creative arts.

July 9, 2008