Forum on the Hill
The Forum on the Hill provides opportunities for the community to engage with speakers once a month, (September- June) who discuss current topics. Join the Conversations! Presented both in person at 12:30pm in Widener Hall and then recorded and posted online here the next day. *Bring a brown bag lunch to enjoy, and we serve light snacks, water, and coffee starting at Noon.
CLICK HERE to watch the presentation from November 14th.
A $5 donation is requested for the series to help support this program when you attend in person. If you are watching online, please consider making this small contribution through the secure Donate button below, or mail a check made out to PCCH to: Center on the Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia PA 19118 if you watch online. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Registration Required to attend in person, please CLICK HERE to Register Online, or call 215-247-4654 or email msaavedra@chestnuthillpres.org
November 14
Barbara VornDick, M.Ed.
Eliza’s True Story
In the first biography written about the eldest daughter of President James Monroe, just published in July 2024, author Barbara VornDick replaces the limited—and erroneous—historical narrative about Eliza with the complete true story of her life, and the tragic circumstances of her death. Her devotion to family and country had been obscured and forgotten over time, but five years of searching through primary sources, including personal letters, court proceedings, ships’ manifests, deeds, wills, and State Department records, revealed the true story of Eliza Monroe’s life and her death as a penniless pauper; a situation that befell many women in the 1800s who found themselves at the mercy of men who controlled their access to property and prosperity. In addition to telling Eliza’s story, this dynamic speaker presents a glimpse of her fascinating journey into the realm of historical research, and discusses how the discovery of documents from archives on both sides of the Atlantic, some hidden for two centuries, illuminated the facts about Eliza’s life and enabled her true story to be told.
In 2017, Author Barbara VornDick retired from a three-decade career as an educator n four major Virginia school systems in the fields of general education, special education, and psychoeducational assessment, and five years as an adjunct professor. She currently works as an Interpreter of History at James Monroe’s Highland, the home of President Monroe in Albemarle County, Virginia. It was there that she first became interested in the Monroe women, and was drawn to investigate he truth about Eliza. She currently has three books published with Barnes and Noble Press.
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