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L Verge · 09-09-2016, 12:24 PM

Lincoln Assassination Studies: No Foolin' - Just Facts... This is the theme we have chosen for the 2017 Surratt Conference in deference to the event falling on April Fool's weekend (March 31-April 2, 2017).

We are now prepared to divulge our speakers, topics, special trips, and banquet plans. Full packets with complete information will be mailed to all Surratt Society members the first week of November. If any non-members reading this would like to be included in that mailing, please contact me at laurie.verge@pgparks.com.

Friday: Special bus trip (for the first 50 to register for it) to visit the new Smithsonian Museum of African American History on the Mall in D.C., which opens on September 24 this year. This is a remarkable, architectural masterpiece before one even looks at the exhibits. Check it out online. Lunch will be in Old Town Alexandria and finish with the African American Museum in that city and a talk on the contraband cemetery there that was totally forgotten about in the early-20th century and covered over by development. It has been resurrected over the past ten years and is part of the ongoing story from slavery to freedom and progress. The bus will return to Surratt House that evening in time for the Welcoming Reception at the James O. Hall Research Center.

Saturday: This is our traditional day of "edumacation." Registrants will begin with a full breakfast buffet in the conference area at Colony South Hotel and then settle in for the following sessions (in no particular order at this point): Dave Taylor speaking on "Assassination 'Extras:' Their Hidden Histories;" Karen Needles on "Taking the Lincoln Assassination into the Digital Age;" Karen heads the Lincoln Archives Digital Project. Burrus Carnahan will help us make sense of the military trial of the conspirators with his talk on "The Military Trial: Myth and Reality;" while Bill Richter will address "'My Policy Is To Have No Policy:' Abraham Lincoln and the Reconstruction of Our Nation." Blaine Houmes will share some medical thoughts on "There's Something About Mary." Rounding out the speakers' list is Scott Schroeder talking on "The Lincoln Assassination Story: Depictions in American Comic Books and Graphic Novels."

Saturday will close with our annual conference banquet and Kate Ramirez will reprise her first-person portrayal of Mary Surratt, "Beware The People Whistling," a dramatic glimpse of the woman trapped in the moments between life and death.

On Sunday, the first 50 registrants for the bus trip will be heading to Gettysburg. If you think you have seen all that the town can possibly offer, have you been to the new Seminary Ridge Museum on the college grounds; or the Shriver House where Confederate sharpshooters hid in the attic; or the newly upgraded Lincoln Train Museum with more artifacts added to the displays? Have you had lunch at Gen. Pickett's Restaurant overlooking his field of charge? If you answered "no" to any of those questions, you will want to join us.

We are doing our best to hold costs at the same level (or lower) as the past two years for all of the conference segments. We have managed to convince the hotel to offer even lower room rates, and we are currently negotiating with the chef on the cost of meals, which are built into the basic registration fee. The Society never makes a profit on the conference, but we view it as an educational endeavor. We would love to meet and greet many of you that weekend.

Eva Elisabeth · 09-09-2016, 05:12 PM

Wow, the speakers and topics are an awesome choice - so various and interesting, wish I could beam me over.

Carolyn Mitchell · 09-09-2016, 09:52 PM

(09-09-2016 12:24 PM)L Verge Wrote: Lincoln Assassination Studies: No Foolin' - Just Facts... This is the theme we have chosen for the 2017 Surratt Conference in deference to the event falling on April Fool's weekend (March 31-April 2, 2017).

We are now prepared to divulge our speakers, topics, special trips, and banquet plans. Full packets with complete information will be mailed to all Surratt Society members the first week of November. If any non-members reading this would like to be included in that mailing, please contact me at laurie.verge@pgparks.com.

Friday: Special bus trip (for the first 50 to register for it) to visit the new Smithsonian Museum of African American History on the Mall in D.C., which opens on September 24 this year. This is a remarkable, architectural masterpiece before one even looks at the exhibits. Check it out online. Lunch will be in Old Town Alexandria and finish with the African American Museum in that city and a talk on the contraband cemetery there that was totally forgotten about in the early-20th century and covered over by development. It has been resurrected over the past ten years and is part of the ongoing story from slavery to freedom and progress. The bus will return to Surratt House that evening in time for the Welcoming Reception at the James O. Hall Research Center.

Saturday: This is our traditional day of "edumacation." Registrants will begin with a full breakfast buffet in the conference area at Colony South Hotel and then settle in for the following sessions (in no particular order at this point): Dave Taylor speaking on "Assassination 'Extras:' Their Hidden Histories;" Karen Needles on "Taking the Lincoln Assassination into the Digital Age;" Karen heads the Lincoln Archives Digital Project. Burrus Carnahan will help us make sense of the military trial of the conspirators with his talk on "The Military Trial: Myth and Reality;" while Bill Richter will address "'My Policy Is To Have No Policy:' Abraham Lincoln and the Reconstruction of Our Nation." Blaine Houmes will share some medical thoughts on "There's Something About Mary." Rounding out the speakers' list is Scott Schroeder talking on "The Lincoln Assassination Story: Depictions in American Comic Books and Graphic Novels."

Saturday will close with our annual conference banquet and Kate Ramirez will reprise her first-person portrayal of Mary Surratt, "Beware The People Whistling," a dramatic glimpse of the woman trapped in the moments between life and death.

On Sunday, the first 50 registrants for the bus trip will be heading to Gettysburg. If you think you have seen all that the town can possibly offer, have you been to the new Seminary Ridge Museum on the college grounds; or the Shriver House where Confederate sharpshooters hid in the attic; or the newly upgraded Lincoln Train Museum with more artifacts added to the displays? Have you had lunch at Gen. Pickett's Restaurant overlooking his field of charge? If you answered "no" to any of those questions, you will want to join us.

We are doing our best to hold costs at the same level (or lower) as the past two years for all of the conference segments. We have managed to convince the hotel to offer even lower room rates, and we are currently negotiating with the chef on the cost of meals, which are built into the basic registration fee. The Society never makes a profit on the conference, but we view it as an educational endeavor. We would love to meet and greet many of you that weekend.

I'm so bummed I can't make it. I will be in Boston on 4/1 on vacation. I wished I would have known the line up of presenters sooner. I definitely would have love to see Dave Taylor and Kate Ramirez. I hope someone records Dave's presentation. Here's the link to Kate's powerful presentation of Mary Surratt: https://boothiebarn.com/2016/06/18/bewar...whistling/

My husband and I hung out with them last year and gave us a personal JWB Escape Route Tour. Great fun!

While in Boston, I hope to visit Edwin Booth's grave at Mt Auburn Cemetery (also buried on the lot is his first wife Mary Devlin and their only child together Edwina), Junius Brutus Booth Jr's gravesite, Boothden (Edwin's home) and Mary Devlin stained glass window in Middleton, RI etc.

ReignetteC · 09-10-2016, 10:01 AM

When will registration open? Thanks!

ReignetteC · 09-10-2016, 02:06 PM

(09-10-2016 10:01 AM)ReignetteC Wrote: When will registration open? Thanks!

Sorry, just read that it opens in November. Can't wait for this one.

L Verge · 10-07-2016, 12:58 PM

It must be poetic justice that a museum is what is holding up the works in getting out the 2017 Surratt Conference packet!

As announced earlier, our Friday, off-site bus tour is hoped to be to the brand-new National Museum of African American History and Culture on the Mall in D.C. We have been attempting to reach someone/anyone at that facility since early June. Nobody answers the three phone numbers that you are told to call. Jazz music plays in your ears with the pleasant voice (that you would like to strangle) popping in every two minutes to "thank you for your patience." I deliberately put my phone on speaker and went about my work one day for over an hour just to see what would happen - nothing. Email and online assistance? There is none. An automatic response tells you that someone will respond. We're now going into our fifth month with no response.

We have contacted anyone and everyone that might have a connection, and everyone laughs about the same problem. To us, it is no laughing matter. This is no way to run a museum! The Washington Post doesn't think so either and carried an article on this situation. The free museum is supposedly "sold out" of timed tickets through March of 2017. No one seems to have considered the thousands upon thousands of school groups that will descend on D.C. in March with good intentions of visiting this highly-touted museum. Unless things change drastically, there are going to be some rude awakenings - and rude language, no doubt.

This is a HUGE museum, so space is not an issue. Without knowing what is going on in the administrative offices, my guess is that management is lacking. For our conference, we are now pulling together Plan B, which will include some local museums that welcome visitation.

Thomas Kearney · 10-07-2016, 03:33 PM

Does that plan B include a tour of the Ford's Theater campus with yours truly? If so here is the biography I want on the Surratt House web page:

You could say Thomas Kearney grew up around history. At the age of nine, after making his first visit to Ford's Theater, he decided he wanted to study this history shaping event. Fast forward 11 years and one high school diploma later, Kearney is quickly becoming one of the leading authorities on the Lincoln assassination. He is the host of the YouTube series "The Lincoln Assassination: Behind The History" launching February 12, 2017. He even stayed up all night (much to his parents chagrin) at Ford's in 2015 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the assassination. He also appeared in an episode of the YouTube series "The Lincoln Traveler". When not researching the assassination in his native Maryland or driving Surratt House director Laurie Verge insane, Kearney has served as the backup announcer at Timonium Race Course since 2015.

Gene C · 10-07-2016, 05:23 PM

How is Plan C coming Laurie?

Shy

L Verge · 10-07-2016, 06:11 PM

(10-07-2016 05:23 PM)Gene C Wrote: How is Plan C coming Laurie?

If we have to resort to Plan B, we won't be going anywhere near D.C. After 17 years, we have exhausted almost everything Lincoln-related in that city.

Since 9/11, security measures have also stymied some of our ideas. Buses, especially, can't get near some of the wonderful sites - even to drop off. We would waste half the day walking blocks to get to some of the places we have thought of.

Sorry, Thomas.

Thomas Kearney · 10-07-2016, 06:13 PM

I think Kate tried pitching karaoke night at Wok N Roll last year

L Verge · 10-07-2016, 06:14 PM

(10-07-2016 03:33 PM)Thomas Kearney Wrote: Does that plan B include a tour of the Ford's Theater campus with yours truly? If so here is the biography I want on the Surratt House web page:

You could say Thomas Kearney grew up around history. At the age of nine, after making his first visit to Ford's Theater, he decided he wanted to study this history shaping event. Fast forward 11 years and one high school diploma later, Kearney is quickly becoming one of the leading authorities on the Lincoln assassination. He is the host of the YouTube series "The Lincoln Assassination: Behind The History" launching February 12, 2017. He even stayed up all night (much to his parents chagrin) at Ford's in 2015 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the assassination. He also appeared in an episode of the YouTube series "The Lincoln Traveler". When not researching the assassination in his native Maryland or driving Surratt House director Laurie Verge insane, Kearney has served as the backup announcer at Timonium Race Course since 2015.

After teaching over 2000 8th and 9th graders over a seven year period many moons ago, Thomas, you don't even come close to driving me insane!

Thomas Kearney · 10-07-2016, 06:50 PM

Oh well, I tried

Thomas Kearney · (This post was last modified: 11-15-2016 06:12 PM by Thomas Kearney.)

Got my registration info in the mail. Looks like it will be fun. If anyone is wondering I'm ordering the Chicken Cordon Bleu. I will be live tweeting the conference for the second consecutive year. Should I take the Southern Maryland tour?

Also Laurie, do you want me to introduce any of the speakers? I have great public speaking skills and even aced a class on public speaking (OK I flunked it but I still have the skills).

Gene C · (This post was last modified: 11-15-2016 06:28 PM by Gene C.)

Thanks Thomas, I was wondering what your were ordering.
Have you picked your wardrobe for the weekend? I wouldn't want to wear the same thing

Thomas Kearney · 11-15-2016, 06:35 PM

(11-15-2016 06:28 PM)Gene C Wrote: Thanks Thomas, I was wondering what your were ordering.
Have you picked your wardrobe for the weekend? I wouldn't want to wear the same thing

Probably my Fred Figglehorn tshirt with my LL Bean sweater and Levi's.