A new presidential
exhibit is being assembled and will center on
the
grand tale of US political hospitality.
The exhibit includes artifacts from the Presidents of the Continental Congress,
the United States in Congress Assembled (Constitution of 1777) and United
States (Constitution of 1787). Their wives, including Lady
Christina who in 1788 incorporated “royal hospitality traditions” that
greatly influenced our nation’s founding First Ladies, will also be featured in
this exhibit.
The nonprofit corporation, Forgotten Founders, was formed solely for general
charitable purposes pursuant to the Florida Not for Profit Corporation Act
set forth in Part I of Chapter 617 of the Florida Statutes.
The specific and primary purposes for which this corporation is formed are:
1.
To secure national and international U.S. Presidential and Head of State recognition for the ten
men who served as the Constitution of 1777 U.S. Presidents under the Articles of
Confederation.
Presidents of the United States
In Congress Assembled
Samuel Huntington
1st President of the United States
in Congress Assembled
March 1, 1781 to July 6, 1781
10th President of the United States
in Congress Assembled
January 22, 1788 to March 4, 1789
2. To secure national and international founding and Head of State
recognition for the six men who served as Presidents of the United Colonies
and States of America.
Presidents of the Continental Congress and
The United Colonies ofAmerica
3.
To secure national and international founding recognition for the U.S.
Founding delegates, commissioners, judges, ministers, boards, military
officers and other government officials serving the United Colonies and States
of America from 1774 to 1788.
4.
To operate for the advancement of U.S. Founding education, research and other
related charitable purposes.
5.
To establish a United StatesPresidential Library honoring the
fourteen Presidents while aiding in the establishment of individual
presidential libraries for each of the Forgotten Founder Presidents and their
spouses.
A primary
focus of the exhibit will be dedicated to Mary Edith Wilroy's papers who retired
to St. Petersburg in 1975. Mrs. Wilroy was the manager
of the Blair House, the President's Guest
House, for 15 years and entertained some 225 heads of state.
Mary Edith Wilroy began her profession as Blair House Manager on March 2, 1961
only 40 days after John F. Kennedy took the Presidential oath of office.
Mrs. Wilroy served her nation in this capacity for 15 years ending her career on
July 19, 1975 shortly after hosting Walter Scheel, the President of West
Germany.
Mrs. Wilroy's
entertaining of notable American citizens, foreign diplomats, and distant
dignitaries was the end result of U.S. hospitality evolution that began under
John Hancock who was the 1776 President of the Continental Congress of the
United States of America. U.S. Hospitality reached new heights under
Lady Christina, the noblewoman and wife of President Cyrus Griffin.
President Griffin served as the tenth President of the United States under the
Articles of Confederation in 1787 and 1788. Unbeknownst to many, Lady
Christina laid the foundation for future First Ladies and Presidents for
properly entertaining guests of the United States of America.
Upon retirement, Mrs. Wilroy wisely
preserved her private papers that include voluminous correspondence, photos,
announcements, and invitations on presidential hospitality from 1961 to 1976.
The papers are currently housed at the Loyola University New Orleans Special
Collections and are subjects of academic study under the direction of Dr. Naomi
Yavneh, the Director of Loyola New Orleans University Honors Program and
Undergraduate Research.
On this site you will find a small
sampling of Mrs. Wilroy’s papers from the Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford
Administrations that will be the primary focus of the new "U.S. Presidency
and Political Hospitality 1776-1976."
The Wilroy
papers will highlight 20th Century “American
hospitality and elegance” from 1961 to 1975. Currently, our staff is
contacting dignitaries, from all over the world, requesting letters, videos
and/or recordings to clarify and add to the Blair House
historical record preserved by Mary
Edith Wilroy.
First Lady Betty Ford and Mary Edith Wilroy
The Forgotten
Founders, Inc. is a Florida non-profit corporation dedicated to establishing a
Presidential Library honoring the 14 Presidents of the Continental Congress
(1774-1781) and United States in Congress Assembled (1781-1789) who founded the
United States in the 18th Century.
Sixth and
Eleventh Gradecurriculum supplements on the U.S. founding from the Presidential
Perspective Student
From all parts of the United States are
writing their Senators
in Support of the Half Dollar Coin Act
About the Book:When is the birthday of the United States of America?“July 4th, 1776”any first grader would answer. Perhaps, but open your mind and imagine a secret Hippie beginning that was conceived in a Philadelphia Tavern, delivered in a NYC Tavern, and cradled in a renovated City Hall. The USA Founding was a complicated but most miraculous birth.
Your listeners and readers will be surprised to know:
Our nation’s “birth” didn’t happen on July 4. Other dates are also in the running. EvenGroundhog Day (February 2) has a founding significance.
Presidents Day:George Washington actually followed several other U.S. presidents. Ever hear of Thomas Mifflin? Or Samuel Huntington?
