Lunch and Learn: Collecting Lafayette: 200 Years of the Marquis's Visit to Nashville

During the American Revolution, the Marquis de Lafayette of France volunteered to fight in the Continental Army. His service became a symbol of the alliance between France and the burgeoning United States. In 1824 and 1825, Lafayette returned to the United States for a tour stretching from New York to Louisiana, including stops in Nashville and Clarksville, Tennessee. On the 200th anniversary of the tour, Chief Curator Richard White will explore what Lafayette’s visit meant to Tennesseans and how artifacts in the State Museum's collection, now on display for a limited time, tell the story of that legacy.

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Richard White, Chief Curator, manages the curatorial team, directs artifact acquisition and interpretation, engages with the public, and generally assists in the management and conservation of the collection. Richard has more than eight years of experience with the Tennessee State Museum, beginning in the Education Department before advancing to the Collections Department. Richard is a native of Nashville and attended Hillwood Comprehensive High School. He holds a B.A. in History from Belmont University and a master’s degree in History from Middle Tennessee State University. Richard serves on the executive board of the Nashville City Cemetery Association. He is a contributing author and series editor for Civil War Flags of Tennessee, a cooperative publication from the Tennessee State Museum and the University of Tennessee Press. He is a contributing writer and editor for the Tennessee Historical Quarterly and is a 2022 graduate of the Tennessee Government Professionals Institute.

This Lunch and Learn event is in-person in the Museum’s Digital Learning Center at 12:00. No RSVPs are required to attend this free event. It will also be livestreamed on the Museum’s website at TNMuseum.org/Videos. If you have any questions, please email Public.Programs@tn.gov. Boxed lunches made by Apple Spice Nashville are available for purchase for $12.24 to enjoy during the event. The lunches will include a sandwich, chips, and a cookie. Lunch orders must be placed by noon on Tuesday March 18, 2025. Please order your boxed lunch on the ticket registration page.