The Statesman
September - December 2016
A Banner
Ye a r A Publication of the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site
Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site Board of Directors Carolyn E. Anker Eric J. Holcomb James Wallis, Chair Steve Campbell Jason T. Konesco Andrea Neal, Vice Chair Mariama Carson Michael C. Peek Susan Bradford, Treasurer Daniel F. Evans Julian Ridlen Howard J. Lacy IV, Secretary Thomas P. Ewbank Peter Rusthoven Michael W. Wells, at large George W. Geib Ed Simcox David Sease, Past Chair Brian Hewitt Nikki Woodson EX-OFFICIO PRESIDENT & CEO Robin Bankhead Charles A. Hyde HONORARY DIRECTORS Eugene M. Busche Stan Hurt Boris Meditch Andrew J. Paine, Jr. Susanne Ridlen
ADVISORY CABINET William Browne Robert H. Everitt Jamia Jasper Jacobsen J. Scott Keller James Kirsch
John L. Krauss Susanah M. Mead James Morris Kimball Harrison Morsman Virginia Z. Willkie
Special thanks to the more than 100 volunteers who make our work possible!
Staff Charles A. Hyde President & CEO
David Pleiss Director of Learning Resources
Margaret Sallee Director of Operations
Sierra Troitsky Special Events Manager
Jennifer Capps VP of Curatorship & Exhibition
Julio Zepeda Facilities Manager
Ashleigh GravesRoesler VP of Development
Gary Larreategui Weekend Supervisor
Roger Hardig VP of Education
Lukas Ramey Volunteer Experience Mgr.
Cover Photo: Benjamin Harrison welcomes a crowd of supporters during his 1888 presidential “front porch” campaign.
Why We Have Hope
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n the midst of a contentious election and contentious times, it’s easy to play the “generation” game—characterizing people by their ages into broad groupings with supposed attributes, some positive but many negative. From the Baby Boomers to Generation X and Millennials to Generation Z, this oversimplification ignores the important fact that people are people. No one can control the world they’re born into, and while they may share similar experiences, they must ultimately learn to make choices for themselves.
From the President
This extraordinary program has significantly exceeded our expectations in its first two years, and we recognize that this is just the beginning. So what’s next? In 2017, for the first time, all students accepted into the program will receive a full scholarship, covering the entire $400 in program fees. This is important, ensuring that every “future president” from any walk of life has an opportunity to participate. Even bigger plans are underway. We are working to secure underwriting for 2018 when we intend to unveil a national pilot program to partner with other presidential sites and libraries to make Future Presidents of America available to other young leaders across the country. More on that to come!
That said, it is of the utmost importance that the next generation receive the mental preparation and tools to enable it to effectively do so. This has outsized implications for the future of our country, and whether America’s great experiment in selfgovernment continues It is clear—whatever your “An American to succeed, grow and generation—that there citizen could not be a good is a deep yearning thrive for the next century. citizen who did not have a to understand the greater purpose and hope in his heart.” We believe there’s good meaning behind our reason for hope. country’s remarkable story. In September, when Pulitzer PrizeThis June, we welcomed the 2016 class of winning author of Alexander Hamilton, Ron Future Presidents of America: 16 young Chernow, takes center stage with us at the leaders with bright prospects for the future, Mary Tucker Jasper Speaker Series, we from a wide variety of cultural, economic and will explore the newfound fascination with ethnic backgrounds. We were impressed by our country’s past. The Hamilton musical their level of intelligence; their engagement phenomenon has exposed a new generation in today’s political issues; and their nuanced to the genius and hope embodied in the men opinions on subjects that have been at the heart and women who have come before us. It’s an of governing a republic since its founding two important legacy we should understand and centuries ago. During their week together, share. they met and talked with some of the most respected leaders in our community. The list Benjamin Harrison once said “An American includes influential business and non-profit citizen could not be a good citizen who did not leaders, public servants from the Lieutenant have a hope in his heart.” Join us—take heart, Governor to a federal judge, the Mayor and have hope! of Indianapolis and a U.S. Senator. They witnessed almost 100 people take the oath of Very sincerely yours, citizenship becoming full-fledged Americans. They shared their voices in lively discourse, revealing discussions about what it means to Charles A. Hyde, President & CEO be a good citizen—and a good American.
Plan Your Visit
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Calendar Benjamin Harrison’s Birthday August 20 . 10am-3:30pm
LIVE Family Christmas December 3 . 10am-3:30pm
“The Witching Hour,” Presented by Candlelight Theatre October 14, 15, 21,22, 23 Performances starting at 6pm
ACandlelightEveningonDelawareStreet December 8 . 6pm-9pm
Election Day LIVE November 8 . 10am-3:30pm Civil War Dinner November 16 . 6pm
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NEW FAMILY TRADITION! “T’was the Night Before...” presented by Candlelight Theatre December 16 & 17 Performances starting at 6pm
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Coffee with the Curator First Friday of Each Month Free for members & guests • $6 non-members • 8:30 - 9am
Kick-off your first Friday in style with this stimulating 30 minute event. Enjoy a cup of coffee and a doughnut hole while getting a glimpse of interesting, amazing and unexpected Presidential Site collection items. We promise to satisfy your curiosity, and have you on your way to the office by 9am sharp! Upcoming themes include: . . . .
September 2 October 7 November 4 December 2
Back to School Political Cartoons A Tale of Two Elections Deck the Halls
Space is limited so reservations are recommended. Find out more by calling 317.631.1888 or visiting PresidentBenjaminHarrison.org.
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Harrison Still in the News
Harrison Acclaimed in Documentaries Indiana is buzzing and the country is taking notice of the Hoosier bicentennial. Not only did Senator Joe Donnelly tip his hat to Harrison in a six-part series entitled “Indiana in Our Nation’s Capital,” but WFYI featured the 23rd president in the PBS series “Hoosiers: A New History of Indiana.” Noted Indiana historian Dr. James Madison visited the museum for the four-part series, which began airing on July 14. He even interviewed Presidential Site President and CEO Charles Hyde. Go to wfyi.org/programs/hoosiers/ television and see for yourself!
125th Annual Continental Congress for the NSDAR On June 15, the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution held their 125th annual Continental Congress at their headquarters in Washington, DC. Honors were given to military women and veterans, geneologists, and the National Parks Service. One of 4,000 members in attendance, our very own Elaine Sholty, portrayed Caroline Scott Harrison, wearing a replica of Caroline’s official White House gown that she commissioned for the ceremony. We congratulate Elaine on her dedication as she continues portraying Caroline Scott Harrison, both offsite and at the museum!
Elaine’s dress was inspired by the American-made gown Caroline Harrison wore for her official first lady portrait. The oil painting in the second floor sitting room was a copy commisioned by the NSDAR in 1939 to celebrate their first president general. It represents the original version in Washington, DC, which was completed in 1894, two years after the first lady’s untimely death in 1892.
Harrison’s Legacy in Action: African-American Civil Rights
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n the evening of June 30, 1888, over 300 African-American men calling themselves the “Harrison Club” congregated at Benjamin Harrison’s front porch to personally congratulate him on his nomination to the presidency. General Harrison’s sentiments were ahead of their time. His message was inclusive, progressive and thoughtful. His philosophy, revealed here, proved to be a civic roadmap for his presidency, even though the speech was given four days prior to his formal acceptance of the nomination.
men were parties. Prior to that time, as you know, you had been excluded from the right to tell in court, under oath, your side of the story in any legal controversy with white men. [Cries of “I know that!”] The laws prevented you coming here. In every way you were at a disadvantage, even in the free states. I have lived to see this unfriendly legislation removed from our statute-books and the unfriendly section of our state constitution repealed. I have lived not only to see that, but to see the race emancipated and slavery extinct. [Cries of “Amen to that!”]
Mr. Bagby and the Gentlemen of the Harrison Club—I assure you that I have a sincere respect for, and a very deep interest in, the colored people of the United States. My memory, as a boy, goes back to the time when slavery existed in the Southern States. I was born upon the Ohio River, which was the boundary between the free state of Ohio and the slave state of Kentucky. Some of my earliest recollections relate to the stirring and dramatic interest which was now and then excited by the pursuit of an escaping slave for the hope of offered rewards.
Nothing gives me more pleasure among the results of the war than this. History
I remember, as a boy, wandering once through my grandfather’s orchard at North Bend, and in pressing through an alder thicket that grew on its margin I saw sitting in its midst a colored man with the frightened look of a fugitive in his eye, and attempting to satifsy his hunger with some walnuts he had gathered. He noticed my approach with a fierce, startled look, to see whether I was likely to betray him; I was frightened myself and left him in some trepidation, but I kept his secret. [Cries of “Good! Good!”] I have seen the progress which has been made in the legislation relating to your race, and the progress that the race itself has made since that day. When I came to Indiana to reside the unfriendly black code was in force. My memory goes back to the time when colored witnesses were first allowed to appear in court in this state to testify in cases where white
will give a prominent place in the story of this great war to the fact that it resulted in making all men free, and gave to you equal civil rights. The imagination and art of the poet, the tongue of the orator, the skill of the artist will be brought under contribution to tell this story of the emancipation of the souls of men. [Applause and cries of “Amen!”] Nothing gives me so much gratification as a Republican as to feel that in all the steps that led to this great result the Republican Party sympathized with you, pioneered for you in legislation, and was the architect of those great measures of relief which have so much ameliorated your condition. [Applause.]
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I know of nowhere in this country were out, I have seen him with “The a monument that I behold the spelling-book that the with so much interest, imagination and art chaplain had given him, that touches my prone upon the of the poet, the tongue of the lying heart so deeply, ground taxing his old as that monument orator, the skill of the artist will be eyes, and pointing at Washington with his hardened representing the brought under contribution to tell finger to letters of Proclamation of this story of the emancipation of the alphabet, as he Emancipation by endeavored to open to his the souls of men.” President Lincoln, the clouded brain the avenues kneeling black man at the feet of information and light. I am of the martyred president, with the shackles glad to know that the same desire to increase falling from his limbs. and enlarge your information possesses the race today. It is the open way for the race to I remember your faithfulness during the time that perfect emancipation which will remove of the war. I remember your faithful service remaining prejudices and secure to you in all to the army as we were advancing through parts of the land an equal and just participation an unknown country. We could always in the government of this country. It cannot depend upon the faithfulness of the black much longer be withholden from you. Again I man. [Cries of “Right you are!”] He might thank you for your presence here tonight and be mistaken, but he was never false. Many will be glad to take by the hand any of you who a time in the darkness of night have those desire to see me. [Great applause.] faithful men crept to our lines and given us information of the approach of the enemy. I shall never forget a scene that I saw when Sherman’s army marched through a portion of North Carolina, between Raleigh and Richmond, where our troops had never before been. The colored people had not seen our flag since the banner of treason had been set up in its stead. As we were passing through a village the colored people flocked out to see once more the starry banner of freedom, the emblem, promise, and security of their emancipation. I remember an aged woman, over whom nearly a century of slavery must Did You Know? have passed, pressed forward to see the welcome banner that told her that her soul Harrison was the last president until would go over into the presence of her God. the 1960s to seek a strong voting rights I remember her exultation of spirit as she bill. The Lodge Elections bill authorized danced in the dusty road before our moving federal oversight of congressional contests column, and, like Miriam of old, called upon to ensure equal voting rights. It failed in her soul to rejoice in the deliverance which the Senate, having been dubbed the “Force God had wrought by the coming of those who Bill.” stood for and made secure the Proclamation Concerning Harrison, The Miller Center of Emancipation. [Applause.] of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia asserts that, I rejoice in all that you have accomplished since you have been free. I recall no scene “…in those areas which mattered to him—the more pathetic than that which I have often conservation of national resources, the linkage seen about our camp-fires. An aged man, a of world markets to national prosperity, and fugitive from slavery, had found freedom in the civil rights of African-Americans—few our camp. After a day of hard work, when post-Reconstruction Presidents stood on firmer taps had sounded and the lights in the tents ground or tried to accomplish more.”
Harrison in His Own Words
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President’s 1889 Annual Message ...in many p arts of our country wher the (African e -American) p opulation is large, the p eople of that race are by various devic es deprived of exercise of any effectiv their politic e al r ights and of many of thei r civil righ ts. The wron does not exp g end itself u pon those wh votes are su ose ppressed. Ev ery constitu in the Unio ency n is wronged ... I earnestly invoke the at tention of Congress to the consider at ion of such measures wit hin its welldefined constitution al powers as will secure all our peop to le a free ex er cise of the right of suf frage and ev ery other ci right under vil the Constitu tion and law the United s of States...
Did You Know? In 1840, a campaign ball made for Benjamin Harrison’s grandfather, William Henry, rolled through many towns. Slogans such as “We need old Tipp to Guide the ship” and “Keep the ball a Rolling” adorned the sides. In 1888, a replica of this campaign ball was made for Benjamin Harrison by D. E. Brockett of Cumberland, Maryland. The steel-ribbed and canvas-covered sphere was rolled approximately 5,000 miles, all the way to Indianapolis along the National Road (US 40). It is pictured here on Delaware Street, beside Harrison’s driveway.
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A Moment in Time
In 1888...
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While General Harrison was giving the first of his famous “front porch” campaign speeches from his Delaware Street home (top photo), other notable historical figures were growing up or moving forward to meet the challenges of their age. 1
Future President Theodore Roosevelt, age 30, campaigns for Harrison after losing the Mayoral race in New York.
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At age 6, Future President Franklin Delano Roosevelt has just visited the White House, where President Grover Cleveland told him, “I have one wish for you, little man, that you will never be President of the United States.”
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At age 4, Future President Harry Truman’s family is about to move from Harrisonville, Missouri to Independence, where he can attend Presbyterian Sunday school.
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Upon the passing of her second husband Nelson Davis, 66-year-old Abolitionist and Civil Rights Activist Harriet Tubman gives her full attention to Susan B. Anthony and the women’s suffrage movement.
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Future British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill, age 14, transfers to Harrow School and joins the rifle corps.
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Although future author, activist and lecturer Helen Keller had lost her vision and hearing at 19 months, by age 8 she was beginning her formal education at the Perkins Institute for the Blind.
At age 14, future Theoretical Physicist Albert Einstein studies at the Luitpold Gymnasium in Munich, Germany. The building would be destroyed during WWII.
Future Presidents
of America
2016 Future Presidents of America Class, pictured with Benjamin Harrison’s great-great grandson Kimball Harrison Morsman.
When Indy was at the Center of Politics & Culture
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ndianapolis is known for its outstanding sports events, as the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 calls to mind. But did you know that some of the city’s most compelling attractions have to do with the 19th century? The state capital held sway as a major political, literary and industrial center in the country between the end of the Civil War and World War I. Leading figures of this age lived in Indianapolis, and several of their homes have been preserved and can be visited. Other landmarks of the post-Civil War era, which both famous and ordinary people used, are also standing. On a national scale, no Hoosiers of the late 19th century were better known than the state’s only president, Benjamin Harrison, and his friend James Whitcomb Riley, the Hoosier Poet. New appraisals of Harrison’s presidency are judging him as perhaps the most effective president between Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. He set aside over 31 million acres as national forests in western states and is considered to be the founder of the national forest system. He made the strongest push of any postCivil War president until Lyndon Johnson to restore the right to vote for AfricanAmericans in the South. He was one of the first presidents to actively promote trading relationships with other nations in the Western Hemisphere. He strongly promoted creation of a modern American navy, and his administration built enough ships for the United States soon to maintain fleets in both the Atlantic and Pacific. Harrison supported passage of the first anti-trust legislation, and he campaigned successfully for creation of a federal court of appeals system. His 1874-75 home, a National Historic Landmark at 1230 N. Delaware St., recreates the household of the nation’s First Family with many furnishings and mementoes of Harrison’s presidency. A short distance away, at 528 Lockerbie St., stands another National Historic Landmark, the home of one who if he were living today would surely be recognized as the nation’s poet laureate. James Whitcomb Riley’s nostalgic and droll poems written in the dialect of rural Hoosiers became so popular that they became required readings
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in schools from coast to coast. None other than Mark Twain was an admirer of both Riley’s poems and his deliveries of verse as a featured performer on the stage. Riley also produced evocative and emotional poems on solemn occasions, such as the dedication of the Indiana Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, or the funeral of his friend, former President
Harrison. The poet’s 1872 home is considered one of the finest preservations of a late 19th century or early 20th century home in the country. Virtually all of the furnishings, decorative painting and personal effects of Riley and his host family, the Holsteins, were retained by the James Whitcomb Riley Memorial Association (now the Riley Children’s Hospital Foundation) when it opened a museum to Riley in his home. A gifted lawyer, Harrison tried cases before the Indiana Supreme Court in the Statehouse, and the Capitol building and Supreme Court Courtroom have been restored to their 1888 splendor for visitors to enjoy. Harrison and Riley on countless occasions boarded and arrived on trains that passed through Union Station, an 1887 Romanesque masterpiece that is now
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an event and convention center for the Crowne Plaza and Omni-Severin hotels. The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument of 1887-1902, where Harrison spoke at the corner-stone laying and Riley delivered his poem at the dedication, stands in all of its restored glory, at the center of the city. Other notable landmarks of Harrison’s and Riley’s worlds include the 1891 Propylaeum
Earliest Surviving Presidential Recording For the past 20 years, a recording has been in the possession of the Presidential Site. Originally dubbed from a fragile two-minute brown wax cylinder, the faint statement is nevertheless a reminder that Benjamin Harrison is the earliest U.S. president whose voice can be heard today: “As president of the United States, I was present at the first Pan-American congress in Washington D.C. I believe that with God’s help, our two countries shall continue to live side-by-side in peace and prosperity.” The recording was arranged because of the friendship between the president’s son Russell and a prolific inventor named Gianni Bettini. In 1888, Bettini, in part motivated by his social contacts with the Metropolitan Opera House, constructed a wax cylinder phonograph. In 1890, he set up a Manhattan laboratory in the same building as the Judge Publishing Company, for which Russell was a manager and partner. Frank Leslie’s Weekly, one of their magazines, ran highly complimentary articles about Bettini’s innovations. Leslie’s remarked that his phonograph “…has reached a startling degree of perfection” and the inventor was hailed as “a modern magician.”
at 1410 N. Delaware St., originally the home of beer baron John W. Schmidt; the Indiana Medical Museum at 3045 W. Vermont St., an 1896 time capsule of the science of pathology at the turn of the 20th century; and several late 19th century churches. Especially worth visiting are the 1857-61 Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral on the Circle; the former Central Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church of 1891 (now Indiana Landmarks Center) at 1201 Central Ave.; the 1876 Roberts Park United Methodist Church at 401 N. Delaware St. and the former First Lutheran Church at 701 N. Pennsylvania St. of 1875-85 (now the Sanctuary event center).
--- James A. Glass James A. Glass is a historic preservation and heritage consultant. Follow him on Twitter: @JamesAGlass. This article was originally published in the Indianapolis Star.
Exactly when Benjamin Harrison went to the studio remains unknown, although he spoke of his presidency in the past tense, which dates its origin to some time after March 4, 1893. Further research indicates that the recording may have been made prior to Samuel Clemens’ death in June of 1898, because Bettini’s record catalogue mentions the events simultaneously: “Ex-President Benjamin Harrison and ‘Mark Twain’ have each left a record of their voices behind them.”
From the Presidential Site Collection 1
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Harrison & Reid Rattler (1892) Lithographed-paper-on wood political noisemaker made for the presidential campaign of 1892. One side shows a portrait of Benjamin Harrison and the other Vice Presidential running mate Whitelaw Reid; it bears the slogans “In Hoc Signo Vinces Harrison,” (Latin for “In this sign you will conquer”) “One Good Term Deserves Another” and “The Tippecanoe Rattler” which harkens back to Harrison’s grandfather. It is a ratchet form of noise maker.
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Campaign Bandanna (circa 1888) With red, white, blue and black (or very dark blue) cotton, the imagery includes an eagle at top and three flags layered on either top corner. PROTECTION TO HOME INDUSTRIES is declared at the top-center in the oval and GEN. BEN HARRISON at the bottom. The small circles at the bottom corners tell his story: the right one shows Harrison on horseback during the Civil War. The other has an image of the symbolic log cabin.
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Campaign Paper Lantern Multi-color paper campaign lantern. Note the 38 star flag in center with “Harrison & Morton” on a flag and the log cabin theme. Made by Sprague & French Norwalk, Ohio, it would have been stretched on a balloon shaped wire frame with a wood handle to carry in torchlight parades.
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Volunteer Experiences
Celebrating a Year of Service The Annual Volunteer Association Meeting was held on Friday, July 29. During this yearly event, the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site staff awarded three volunteers for their distinguished service. While all of our volunteers are wonderful and deserving of awards, these three went above and beyond their roles as volunteers. This year Judy Fendel was awarded the Marianne McGeath Apple of our Eye Award for her volunteer work with school tours and programs. Judy masterfully translates big concepts in ways that engage and excite children of all ages. The White Glove Award was presented to Elaine Sholty for her consistent efforts in respecting and preserving the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site home and artifacts. Elaine’s attention to detail helped with this year’s 125th anniversary of the
NSDAR, as she accurately portrayed Caroline Harrison at Continental Hall (see page 5). Mike Back was awarded the Volunteer of the Year Award. He is always among the first to jump into action for school groups, walk-ins, and events. He has volunteered almost 400 hours in the past 9 months. This year concludes the term for the current Diane Volunteer Association Board. Crabtree and Gary Smith were applauded for serving their tenure with distinction. The Volunteer Association unanimously voted Robin Bankhead as President, Martha Buehner as Vice President, and Mike Back as Secretary. The Presidential Site staff is excited to work with the new Volunteer Board to preserve and promote Benjamin Harrison’s legacy in action.
Judy Fendel entertaining and educating guests in the back parlor.
Special Thanks Every year, the Presidential Site staff requests the help of the Volunteer Association to help fund initiatives and artifact repairs. On July 29, the Volunteer Association voted to help repair a historic lamp post on the north side of the home. It was originally a gas burning lamp, but was later converted to electric. The association also funded braided wool rugs for the historic kitchen. The current rugs were made by past volunteers and they have served us well for over 40 years. Finally, they agreed to purchase new window coverings for the 3rd floor windows. The current curtains were installed in the 1970s and have lost their original luster. The Presidential Site would like to thank the Volunteer Association for their continued fundraising and support!
Future Presidents of America
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Mayor Joe Hogsett and the Honorable Sarah Evans Barker discuss civic participation with the young leaders of Future Presidents of America.
2017 Future Presidents of America
TM
Now accepting applications for the Class of 2017, June 26 - June 30 (ages 12-16) Early application deadline: November 18 at 5pm In 2017, the historic Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site will offer Future Presidents of America youth leadership camp. This new initiative, started in 2015, is an innovative and engaging youth leadership camp with a mission of developing individual confidence, civic literacy and good citizenship to reveal the exceptional qualities of character that make for great presidents and leaders. Using the American presidency as a lens of understanding, students explore a panoramic view of issues relevant to all leaders of all eras. Examining eras from the country’s heroic 18th century origin to the 23rd president and into the 21st century, participants will engage in an immersive history experience that includes special interactive sessions and up-close experiences with historic artifacts.
NEW IN 2017
All young leaders selected for the program will receive a full scholarship.
Special opportunities include the chance to meet and engage with a diverse group of business and community leaders, joining the federal court’s summer naturalization ceremony, and more. Students also have the opportunity to share their voices in lively debates and thought provoking discussions about what it means to be a good citizen. Simultaneously, they investigate the challenges and opportunities facing every president – yesterday, today and tomorrow. Each day’s programming and field trips focus on a set of themes that explore rich history through compelling and insightful stories of success in the face of challenge and adversity:
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MONDAY (June 26): TUESDAY (June 27): WEDNESDAY (June 28): THURSDAY (June 29): FRIDAY (June 30th):
Confidence & Qualifications Duty, Honor & Sacrifice Poise & Policy Communitas & Civitas E Pluribus Unum
Space is limited to 20 young leaders (ages 12-16). All selected participants receive full scholarships ($400 value). Application deadlines and forms are available at www.futurepresidents.us
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Development Spotlight
Thank you! Glorious 4th Donor Honor Roll We extend our sincere gratitude to the donors who stepped up in support of the Presidential Site’s Glorious 4th Independence Day campaign.* Your gifts are immediately going to work supporting educational initiatives that will serve more than 27,000 children and adults this year. Thank you for your investment in a great American legacy! Ms. Nancy A. Ahrbecker Ms. Judith M. Allen Robert D. Arnold M.D. Chic and Brenda Born Brandt Construction Inc. Mrs. Martha A. Buehner Mr. Eugene M. Busche Ms. Nina L. Butler Richard and Eileen Copeland Michael and Catherine Coscia Jeffrey and diane Crabtree Ms. Katheryn L. Curry Mrs. Sue Day William H. Dick, M.D. Ms. Whitney M. Ebmeyer Mr. Thomas P. Ewbank
Ms. Phyllis W. Geeslin Mr. Thomas G. Harvey, Jr. Ms. Elizabeth R. Haskett Mr. James R. Hebden Martha and Gregory Hoffman Cathy and Charles Husman Mr. and Mrs. Jim James Jim and Nancy Johnson Mr. J. Scott Keller Mr. John D. Kelley Mrs. Peggy Leveque Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Lugar Senator Richard G. Lugar (ret.) Greg and Nancy Maiers Dr. and Mrs. Robert F. Manges Mr. Philip McGeath Mr. H. Roll McLaughlin
Advancing American Democracy Award recipient Ron Chernow The Advancing American Democracy Award is bestowed annually by the Presidential Site upon an individual who, in an exemplary way, advances the values of our national democracy by encouraging citizen participation in selfgovernment and in greater civic society. The 2016 award will be presented to Pulitzer Prizewinning historian Ron Chernow at the 11th Annual Mary Tucker Jasper Speaker Series. Chernow is one of the most distinguished commentators on history, politics, business, and finance in America today. Through his important work in American biography, Chernow has demonstrated a singular focus: a deep historical exploration of individual talent and genius in service of greater purpose. His writing is constantly questioning and seeking answers to greater truths, calling upon citizens of our great country to know and understand the past if they hope to advance our future. Chernow has also made the exceptional stories of American history engaging and relevant for a new generation of readers. Chernow is the historical consultant on the sensational Broadway musical “Hamilton,” which was inspired by his biography. “Hamilton” has captured the imagination of our nation and inspired an impassioned rediscovery of our country’s founding principles.
Ms. Susanah M. Mead Mr. Boris E. Meditch John F. and Rosalie Molloy Mr. Seth Musselman Peine Engineering Ms. Dede Petri Ms. Cathy Pollachek David and Sara Roesler Mr. Henry C. Ryder David and Donna Sease Mr. Jeffrey R. Speirs Richard and Evalyn Steininger Ms. Linda D. Swanson Mr. Robert L. Trimpl Frank and Jane Walker Mr. Timothy A. Whitten
*received by July 15
Coming Soon
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The
Witching Hour
Presented by Candlelight Theatre October 14, 15, 21, 22, & 23
The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site The Witching Hour
presented by Candlelight Theatre
Have a fun and frightful theatre experience through chilling tales told by the wildest of witches, both historical and fictional. The performance unfolds as Coventon, the only School of Wizardry and Witchcraft in North America, is opening its doors and vetting future wand-wielders. Head-hunters will be haunting the Presidential Site to introduce potential recruits to the school’s varied and nefarious staff. The only requirement for enrollment to Coventon is your Soul payable in monthly installments. Only kidding. Or are we? PERFORMANCE DATES AND TIMES:
October 14, 15, 21, 22, and 23, 2016 Fri and Sat Performances: 6pm-8:30pm, Sunday 2pm-4:30pm (October 23) Performances begin every half hour and last 75 minutes
TICKETS:
$17.50 for Adults $14.50 for Members and Students (6-12) (not recommended for children under 6) This program will sell out! Purchase your tickets at PresidentBenjaminHarrison.org or by calling (317) 631-1888. WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM:
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Election Day
Tuesday, November 8
On election day, the museum will be open for voting in our precinct. We encourage you to fulfill your civic duty in your own neighborhood, and register today for the general election!
OTED V
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We are proud to be a polling site!
Coming Soon
rri son Be nja mi n Ha l Si te Pr es id en tia
Election Day LIVE November 8 • 10am to 3:30pm On the same day we open as a polling site, we invite you inside for a unique immersive tour. The year is 1888. General Harrison and his staff entertain family and friends as they prepare for the election results. At the end of the night, will Grover Cleveland be elected for his second term, or will Indiana’s own Benjamin Harrison be the victorious nominee? Talk to the enactors and get the inside scoop on this captivating moment in history!
Come Home for the Holidays
This is the perfect time of year to introduce your family and friends to the beauty and splendor of the Presidential Site, while the mansion is decked in holiday finery! LIVE: Family Christmas December 3 • 10am to 3:30pm It’s 1888 and Indiana’s own Benjamin Harrison has won the presidency! Come home for the holidays to help the new first family celebrate their last Christmas in Indiana before the big move. Extended family from Ohio and staff will be sharing the holiday cheer and chatting about whether or not there will be a Christmas tree in the White House next year. Join the conversation! A Candlelight Evening on Delaware Street December 8 • 6pm to 9pm (reservations required) There’s no place like home for the holidays. Join us for A Candlelight Evening on Delaware Street and see some of the finest nearby residences from the inside out. Enjoy an excellent supper and a blazing fire at the University Club as you visit several prestigious addresses. This historic house walking tour is a lovely way to celebrate the season with family or friends. Make your reservation or purchase a gift certificate at 317.631.1888 or PresidentBenjaminHarrison.org. A NEW FAMILY TRADITION! “Twas the Night Before...” presented by Candlelight Theatre December 16 & 17 • Performances start at 6pm A new opportunity for festive family entertainment for the holidays! Stay tuned and visit PresidentBenjaminHarrison.org for more information.
Volume 42, Issue 3