Dolley Madison Legacy Luncheon History
The Dolley Madison Legacy Luncheon: The Inaugural Event
In Fall 2005, restoration of James Madison’s Montpelier was going well. While the mansion’s exterior was transforming into its 19th-century Madison retirement era aspect, Carolyn Quinn set her sights on how to transform the interior to allow visitors to see a vibrant Madison house and to get a sense of Dolley Payne Madison’s home.
While James was the intellect of the family, Dolley was its heart. During the Madisons’ time in Washington and as America’s first “First Lady,” Dolley had become a symbol of gracious hospitality. She had worked with the famous Benjamin Latrobe to create a glamorous presidential home for entertaining. Her famous “Wednesday Nights,” when she invited politicians from both sides to mingle, became so popular they earned the title of “Squeezes.” Even before her time in Washington, she had filled Montpelier with art, wallpaper, French furniture, and dramatic mirrors, much of which she ordered from Europe.
Carolyn assembled a group of volunteers to discuss a suitable way to honor Dolley Madison and raise money for special acquisitions for the mansion’s interior. With Dolley’s hospitality in mind, they decided to have a party in May (Dolley’s birthday month) when the Montpelier gardens would be in full bloom. Montpelier would ask a prominent speaker to address Dolley’s influential role as a pre-eminent hostess in Washington and to explore the role of women in the history of our emerging nation. Carolyn invited Cokie Roberts, who had demonstrated her interest in the Colonial period by writing a New York Times bestseller, Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation.
An Honorary Committee was created. Carolyn contacted the Virginia Historical Society for use of its striking Dolley Madison silhouette on all promotional material. Carolyn came up with the perfect favor for guests to take home as a memory of the inaugural luncheon, a bookmark featuring an illustration of Dolley Madison on a 15-cent stamp including her quote: “There is one secret, and that is the power we all have in forming our own destinies.”
May 17, 2006, was a beautiful day. Michael Quinn, President of The Montpelier Foundation, gave Cokie a tour of the mansion exterior; although the scaffolding obscured some of the architectural details, guests enjoyed seeing the restoration’s progress. Cokie’s speech highlighted Dolley as one of the important “Founding Mothers.” Next to the podium was a sketch of how the Montpelier drawing room might look like when finished, featuring Dolley’s favorite color, scarlet red. The afternoon concluded inside the mansion, as Cokie signed copies of her book Founding Mothers for guests.
Highlights of the William duPont Gallery and Gardens
The second Dolley Madison Legacy Luncheon featured the newly-completed William duPont Gallery, a gracious indoor space with the capacity for speakers to enhance their presentations with slides. Moderated by Susan Borchardt, a research expert, the program focused on Forensic Decorating and featured Betty Monkman (Former Curator of the White House), Gail Serfaty (Director of the Diplomatic Reception Rooms at the Department of State,) and Lynne Hastings (Curator of Historic Interiors of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation). Following the presentation, guests adjourned to two tents in the gardens for lunch. Afterward, guests were offered a tour of the mansion’s drawing room where Montpelier experts, including John Jeanes, the Director of Restoration, were stationed to explain what had been accomplished and what was still to come. The tour was an opportunity to see this magnificent work as it progressed and to stimulate anticipation of the finished project . . . to see the drawing room as it was when Dolley entertained her many guests.
The Luncheon was underwritten by Virginia National Bank, and the Committee is deeply grateful for its continued support through 2018.
Focus on the First Lady Expands
For the next three years, the Luncheon became an event that added extensive knowledge about the founding period. In 2008, Montpelier’s five-year restoration was completed, and the speaker was noted historian Edith Mayo, who directed the popular Smithsonian exhibits on First Ladies and wrote The Smithsonian Book of the First Ladies: Their Lives, Times and Issues. In 2009, guests learned more about the ongoing research to restore Montpelier, hearing from speakers Chris Ohrstrom of Adelphi Paper Hanging and Natalie Larson, a world-renowned household textile consultant and principal of Historic Textile Reproductions. In 2010, the accomplished historic landscape architect, Paul “Chip” Faulkner Callaway, spoke on “Recreating Gardens and Grounds for Historic Houses.” Chip and his staff had designed nearly 1,000 gardens, ranging from large estates to small patios.
Fashion Show
In 2011, the Luncheon had a real change of pace for its guests – a fashion show of costumes created for the PBS documentary “Dolley Madison: America’s First Lady.” Designer Candice Donnell assembled a wardrobe of meticulously researched costumes reflecting the broad scope of Dolley’s life. Dr. Catherine Allgor, author of A Perfect Union, Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation, spoke on “Love, Loss, and What Dolley Wore” and put the costumes into proper context. Dr. Allgor introduced models who wore dresses similar to those that Dolley might have worn.
As a child, Dolley Payne Todd was raised as a Quaker; as such, her clothes would have been confined to simple, muted colors. When Dolley became First Lady, however, she was focused on the importance of her appearance to represent the new nation. It was imperative that she wear elegant clothes made of fine fabrics, but she had to avoid anything that hinted at royalty. Turbans were fine, but crowns were considered out of bounds. In the early 1800s, fashionable dresses were copied from ancient Greek styles with high Empire waists and low necklines. Dolley embraced that style and often added feathers and plumes to turbans. Although Dolley loved her finery, after her husband’s death she was satisfied to wear a widow’s garb – dark gowns and a paisley shawl – but with her signature turban.
(Special thanks to models Elizabeth Perdue, Bridget Bryant, Cynthia Whitman, Suzanne Allard, Anna May, Marge Grills, and Karla Baer)
Continuing Efforts
Fortunately for Montpelier, the Dolley Madison Legacy Luncheon has continued to be a success. Thanks to the support of its yearly guests and loyal volunteers, as of 2020 the Luncheon has raised over $900,000. Attendance at the Luncheon has grown, and renowned speakers continue to enlighten guests on many levels.
2021 Dolley Madison Legacy Virtual Presentation
Keynote Speaker Madeleine Albright in conversation with David Rubenstein.
Madeleine Albright, who served as the first female Secretary of State and currently serves as Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, was this year’s keynote speaker. Dr. Albright was joined in conversation by David Rubenstein, one of the most patriotic philanthropists in America, having made transformative gifts for the restoration and preservation of historical sites, including James Madison’s Montpelier.
2024 Dolley Madison Legacy Luncheon
The luncheon returns to the grounds of James Madison’s Montpelier
Program – “Empowering Women in Leadership”
The 2024 luncheon was held on May 21, 2024, with a panel discussion between Virginia First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin and Former First Lady Lynda Johnson Robb and moderated by Jan Smith and Nicole Jenkins, co-chairs of the Dolley Madison Legacy Luncheon. The luncheon also featured recorded greetings from Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) and former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (VA-07).
2026 The Dolley Madison Leadership Award
Inaugural Recipient: Jacqueline B. Mars
The Dolley Madison Leadership Award honors extraordinary women whose leadership, vision, and civic engagement reflect the enduring legacy of Dolley Madison. A defining figure in early American history, Dolley Madison shaped the role of First Lady through her diplomacy, her ability to bring people together, and her deep commitment to the nation’s civic life. This award celebrates those who carry that spirit forward today through purposeful leadership, meaningful impact, and a dedication to strengthening community and democratic ideals.
The Montpelier Foundation is proud to recognize Jacqueline B. Mars as the inaugural recipient of the Dolley Madison Leadership Award. Her steadfast commitment to Montpelier has been truly transformative, helping to ensure its vitality as a place of scholarship, dialogue, and public engagement. Her extraordinary generosity has also advanced the conservation of Montpelier’s historic landscape, safeguarding its natural and cultural resources for future generations. Through her vision and enduring support, Mrs. Mars has strengthened both the mission and the physical legacy of Montpelier. Her example of thoughtful leadership, integrity, and service embodies the very qualities this award was created to honor.
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2012
Program – “Ancient and Modern Classical Influences on the Madisons at Montpelier”
Speaker – Wendy A Cooper, The Lois F. And Henry S. McNeil Senior Curator of Furniture at Winterthur
2013
Program – “Dolley Madison, Martha Jefferson Randolph and the Politics of Hospitality
Speaker – Cynthia A. Kierner, Professor of History – George Mason University
2014
Program – “Forged by Fire: Dolley Madison, the President’s House, and the War of 1812”
Speaker – William W. Bushong, Ph.D., Vice President of Research and Director of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History, White House Historical Association
2015
Program – “First Ladies – the Real Power Brokers?”
Speaker – Judy Woodruff, Anchor & Managing Editor of the PBS News Hour; a broadcast journalist, she has covered politics and other news for more than three decades at CNN, NBC and PBS
2016
Program – “Queen Dolley and Her Reign of Civility”
Speaker – Cokie Roberts, Political Commentator for ABC News and NPR
2017
Program – “Founding Gardeners”
Speaker – Andrea Wulf, Lecturer and New York Times best-selling author
2018
Program – “Queen Dolley and Her Ladies”
Speaker – Robert P. Watson Ph.D., Professor of American Studies at Lynn University (FL), historian and author
2019
Program – “Heritage and Resilience – Stewarding and Revealing the Cultural Landscape”
Speaker – Thomas L. Woltz, Principal of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects
2020
Speaker – Carl Sferrazza Anthony
Cancelled because of the Pandemic
2021
Speaker and Moderator – Madeleine Albright and David Rubenstein
2024
Program – “Empowering Women in Leadership”
Speakers – Virginia First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin and Former Virginia First Lady Lynda Johnson Robb
Moderators – Jan Smith and Nicole Jenkins, co-chairs of the Dolley Madison Legacy Luncheon
2025
Program – “Dolley Madison: The Unifier”
Speakers – Nancy Kegan Smith and Diana B. Carlin
2026
Program – “The Best of Frenemies: Dolley Madison and Margaret Bayard Smith”
Speaker – Catherine Allgor
To celebrate Dolley Madison’s 258th birthday, the Dolley Madison Legacy Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at James Madison’s Montpelier in Orange, VA. We honor Dolley Madison as the “first” First Lady and her many contributions to our country.
This year’s program entitled, “The Best of Frenemies: Dolley Madison and Margaret Bayard Smith,” will feature special guest speaker Catherine Allgor, an American historian specializing in women and early American history. A leading authority on Dolley Madison and the founding generation, Allgor is the former president of the Massachusetts Historical Society and the author of several award-winning books, including Parlor Politics and A Perfect Union: Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation. She has held senior academic and leadership roles at institutions including Harvard University, the Huntington Library, and the University of California, Riverside, and currently serves on the boards of the National Women’s History Museum and the Organization of American Historians.
This year’s program entitled, “Dolley Madison: The Unifier,” will feature special guest speakers Nancy Kegan Smith and Diana Carlin.
Nancy Kegan Smith is the retired Director of the Presidential Materials Division at the National Archives and Records Administration. She started her career as an archivist at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas and later worked at the National Archives Building in D.C. She first became interested in first ladies as an archivist at the LBJ Library working with Lady Bird Johnson in processing her beautification files. She has authored book chapters on Lady Bird Johnson and Michelle Obama, is co-editor of Modern First Ladies – Their Documentary Legacy and lectures on first ladies and presidential records. She is a founder and President of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education, FLARE.
Diana B. Carlin is professor emerita of communication at Saint Louis University and a retired faculty member and administrator at the University of Kansas. She is currently an adjunct in the School of Public Affairs at American University where she teaches a virtual course on first ladies. Her interest in first ladies began with a biography of Abigail Adams while in elementary school. She is the author of book chapters on Martha Washington, Julia Grant, Lady Bird Johnson, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Michelle Obama. She authored articles for the White House History Quarterly on first ladies and Sesame Street in the White House and on The Generals’ Wives: Martha Washington, Julia Grant, and Mamie Eisenhower. She is a founding member of FLARE and currently serves as vice president. Both Nancy and Diana co-authored with Anita B. McBride the first textbook on first ladies, U.S. First Ladies: Making History and Leaving Legacies, and Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women.