Marquis de Lafayette's visit to Northwestern PA 200 Years Ago
During a one year long visit of 24 states, Marquis de Lafayette visited Erie, Pennsylvania on June 3, 1825. He was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War, commanding American troops in several battles, including the siege of Yorktown. After returning to France, he was a key figure in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830. He has been considered a national hero in both countries. Join JES Decadian scholar Judy Lynch and Waterford historian Richard Arthur in discussing the travels, the impact, and the people this extraordinary statesman met during his journey through Pennsylvania - to Pittsburgh, Meadville, Waterford and historic Fort Le Boeuf, and finally to Erie for a last day of celebration before he headed East. The story of a hero for Northwestern Pennsylvania, the nation, and the world.
Judith Lynch, Ph.D., has been a board member of the Jefferson Educational Society since its inception and served as its first chairwoman. She is the Jefferson’s first and only Decadean Scholar and continues to serve as a scholar-in-residence. From 2004 to 2017, Dr. Lynch served as Associate Professor of Political Science and History at Mercyhurst University, and from 2002 to 2004, she taught at Allegheny College and was part of the Civic Engagement Institute. Prior, she worked as an analyst for the CIA and served for 20 years as Erie County executive, the county’s top elected official. She received her Doctorate with Distinction in Political Science in 2001 from the University of Pittsburgh and her M.A. in Social Studies from Gannon University. Her undergraduate degree, a B.A. in History and Political Science, is from George Washington University.
Richard Arthur, M.A., is a native of Pittsburgh who has a lifelong interest in American Colonial History. A retired Army officer and adult educator, he currently is serving as Chairman of the Washington Statue Centennial and Rededication Committee that is preserving the statue of 21-year-old Washington on his first public mission to Fort LeBoeuf in present-day Erie County. He and his wife Mary Lou operate Winter’s End, a bird, bee, and butterfly habitat in rural Erie County. Richard is the Curator at Eagle Hotel Museum in Waterford.
