Surratt Society Update

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As vice president of the Surratt Society, I have received a couple of inquiries whether the Surratt Society "disappeared" upon the death of Laurie Verge. The short answer is no; the Surratt Society lives on. However, the Surratt Society and the Surratt House Museum in Clinton, MD, while separate entities, are linked together under the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, which owns and operates the Museum with the assistance of Surratt Society members/volunteers. As a result of the COVID shutdown, and in compliance with the directives of the state of Maryland, the Museum (and other Commission properties) have been closed since early March. In addition, the Surratt Society Conference scheduled for April 2020 and the four John Wilkes Booth Escape Route tours scheduled for April and early May, were all cancelled. At this point, it may not be healthy or prudent to put 50 people on a bus, so the Booth Escape Route tours planned for September 2020 have been cancelled as well. That is the bad news. The good news is that the Commission and the Acting Director of the Museum are exploring options to safely reopen the Museum in August or September.

As for the missing issues of The Surratt Courier, due to the March COVID shutdown, it has not been possible to get them printed and mailed. However, the Surratt Society president, Louise Oertly, has composed monthly issues since March. The intention is to get them printed and out to Surratt Society members as soon as we are able.

Also, the Commission has formed a "selection committee" to interview candidates for the position of Director of the Surratt House Museum. The first round of interviews began this week and will continue into next. It is anticipated that once they are completed, the field of candidates will be narrowed for a possible second round of interviews. The Commission hopes to have a Director in place at the Museum at some point in September.

It was most unfortunate that Laurie's passing and the COVID shutdown happened almost simultaneously, both of which have knocked the Surratt Society off its stride, but under the leadership of Louise Oertly and the other officers of the Society, it will go on in a form and fashion that would make Laurie proud.