Chestertown, MD, February 12, 2003 — In honor of George Washington's 271st birthday, Washington College has opened it archives and assembled its collection of George Washington images and artifacts for public viewing. The exhibit titled “FATHER OF OUR COUNTRY, FATHER OF OUR COLLEGE,” held in the lobby of the College's Tawes Theatre, Gibson Performing Arts Center, is free and open to the public daily, except Sundays, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., from February 13 to February 28, 2003.
Approximately 15 special items selected from over 75 in the College's archives of Washingtonia will be on display, some for the first time in many years. Items on exhibit include a 1784 copy of College founder William Smith's, “An Account of Washington College”; a 1789 commission for Chestertown's customs collector signed by President Washington himself; and various 19th century Washington-inspired busts, lithographs, prints and embroidery.
For the last four months, a small group from the Washington College community has worked to catalog artwork and historical items owned by the College which feature George Washington. This exhibit highlights the College's unique connection to the first president while displaying some unusual historical items rarely seen by the public.
Washington College—the first college chartered in the new nation—was founded in 1782 under the patronage of George Washington, who consented to give his name and financial support to the College, and who served five years on the Board of Visitors and Governors before beginning his presidency. The Washington legacy is kept alive on campus in many ways, including the Washington Scholars Program, the Honor Code, a leadership development program, curricular offerings, and the academic programming of the College's C. V. Starr Center for the American Experience.
This exhibit was made possible by the Washington College's President's Office and the Campus Events and Visitors Committee.
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