WASHINGTON, PA (March 14, 2012)—Who better to host a visit from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson than the Presidents?
Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) joins The David Bradford House and the Washington County Bar Association in sponsoring the fourth Symposium on 18th Century Life and Customs in Western Pennsylvania March 30-31at W&J.
An evening of conversation with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson kicks-off the event as the symposium welcomes Dean Malissa, official George Washington interpreter for Mount Vernon, and Bill Barker, official Thomas Jefferson interpreter for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The two take center stage on March 30 at 6:15 p.m. in the chapel in Old Main. This event is open to the public. Tickets are available for $10.
“We are proud to join forces with W&J and the Washington County Bar Association to bring two of the Nation's most renowned historical interpreters to Washington. If you ever wondered what it would be like to meet George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and talk to them, here is your chance,” said Clay Kilgore, historical director for The David Bradford House.
The symposium, which draws about 75-100 academics, historians, writers and community members as one of the premier historical events in the region, continues March 31 at 9 a.m. in the Howard J. Burnett Center’s Yost Auditorium at W&J. Steve Bashore, manager of Washington's Grist Mill and Distillery and Pioneer Farm at Mount Vernon, will speak about “George Washington, Entrepreneur”; Ron Schuler, a corporate/securities lawyer and managing member of the Pittsburgh office of the firm of Spilman Thomas & Battle, will present “Whiskey, Guns & Lawyers: The Tumultuous Beginnings of the Legal Profession in Western Pennsylvania;” and Barbara Bockrath, historical interpreter and 18th century textiles specialist, will discuss “Shopping: Women and the World of Goods,” among other scheduled presentations. Malissa (“Washington’s Experiences in Western Pennsylvania”) and Barker (The Expanding Frontier”) will also present on March 31.
“The Bradford House has put together a great conference and we thank them and the Washington County Bar Association for providing an amazing opportunity for our community and our region. We welcome Mr. Washington and Mr. Jefferson to campus,” said W&J spokesman Robert Reid.
Tickets for March 30 only are $10, $5 for students with ID and free for W&J students with ID. Tickets for just March 31 are $45 for all. Tickets for both days are $45 for all, before March 16, and $50, $45 for W&J students with ID, after March 16. ACT 48 credits are available.
For more information, call at 724-222-3604 or e-mail bradfordhouse@verizon.net.
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