For Immediate Release
Contact: Lindsay Knight
(804) 466-3142
St. Margaret’s to Host “Frenchified” Event about Thomas Jefferson
Tappahannock (January 2, 2017) – Calling all local history buffs! On Sunday, January 15, 2017, a Jefferson Scholar and
St. Margaret’s alumna will present her thesis on Thomas Jefferson and his use of French cuisine as a means of political
and social manipulation during his presidency. This free event is open to the public and is the first of many
enrichment opportunities to be offered through the Wheat Center for Innovative Learning at St. Margaret’s School.
“Frenchified” will take place in the Viola H. Woolfolk Center on St. Margaret’s campus at 3:00 p.m. Please find a
campus map attached and also online at www.sms.org/contact.
The presentation will dissect how Jefferson’s love of food was more than merely a hobby, and in fact, played a vital
role in his political career. It will be argued that his Congressional dinners indicate food was a political tool Jefferson
used to exert presidential power over his adversaries. The study analyzes the food and wine he served, the people he
hosted, and the size of his dinner parties, and how the food he served directly correlated to the success of his political
agenda. Jefferson’s unique approach to entertaining at the White House is also corroborated by personal accounts
from politicians and socialites who attended Jefferson’s dinners while in office. His distinct salon style of entertaining
was developed from his love of French culture and his desire to establish Washington as a capital city equal to any in
Europe. Ultimately, this drive to “Frenchify” White House entertainment set a precedent for American politicking and
socializing.
Erika Gibson ’07, the presenter, is continuing her research with the Jefferson Fellowship near Monticello. She is also
an undergraduate student enrolled in a 4+1 Master’s Program in War and Society at Chapman University in Orange,
California. As an active member of the Chapman community, she is an editor for the award-winning undergraduate
history journal, Voces Novae, and an assistant editor of Anastamos, Chapman’s inaugural interdisciplinary graduate
journal. Gibson is the assistant director of an enrichment center where she teaches English and history to junior high
and high school students. She claims to be Thomas Jefferson’s biggest fan and is excited to share this love with
anyone who asks – and some who don’t! “Frenchified” is the first of two theses, which explore Jefferson’s love of
food.
For more information or to RSVP, contact Jane Harrington, Coordinator of the Wheat Center, at
[email protected] or (804) 443-3357.
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About Jefferson Scholars
Established in 2001, the Jefferson Fellowship is the premier graduate fellowship offered at the University of Virginia.
Based solely on merit, the Fellowship offered by the Jefferson Scholars Foundation and the University of Virginia
seeks to identify Ph.D. and M.B.A. candidates who demonstrate outstanding achievement and the highest promise as
scholars, teachers, public servants, and business leaders in the United States and beyond. Jefferson Fellows further the
quality of education, intellectual life, and mission of the University. For more information, visit
www.jeffersonscholars.org.
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