Italy in the White House: A Conversation on Historical Perspectives

March 2 Program

9:00am-10:00am

• Registration and light breakfast at Decatur House
  

10:00am-10:15am

• Break and transition to Carriage House

10:15am-10:45am

• Welcome
  • Stewart D. McLaurin, President, White House Historical Association
  • The Honorable Anita B. McBride, Board Member, White House Historical Association; National Italian American Foundation
  • John Viola, President and COO, National Italian American Foundation
  • Dr. Curtis Sandberg, Director of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History, White House Historical Association

10:45am-11:45am

• Keynote Presentation followed by Q&A
  • Professor Campbell Grey, Associate Professor, Department of Classical Studies, University of Pennsylvania

11:45am-12:00pm

• Break and transition to courtyard

12:00pm-1:30pm

• Lunch inspired by menus from White House state dinners with Italian leaders
• Panel Discussion Featuring:
  • The Honorable Anita B. McBride, Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush
  • The Honorable Lloyd N. Hand, United States Chief of Protocol for President Lyndon B. Johnson
  • The Honorable Catherine S. Fenton, Social Secretary for First Lady Laura Bush. Deputy Social Secretary for First Lady Nancy Reagan
  • Moderated by Stewart D. McLaurin, President, White House Historical Association
• Performance of "Di Provenza, il mar, il suol" La Traviata - G. Verdi, performed by Ricardo Herrera, Bass-Baritone and Tatiana Loisha on Piano
  
  • Originally performed by Robert Merrill on January 14, 1964 for President Lyndon B. Johnson's state dinner for President Antonio Segni of Italy

1:30pm-1:45pm

• Break and transition to Carriage House

1:45pm-3:15pm

• Panel discussion moderated by Dr. Curtis Sandberg, White House Historical Association and Professor Barbara Faedda, Columbia University followed by Q&A
  • Professor Mortimer Sellers, Regents Professor of the University System of Maryland and Director of the University of Baltimore Center for International and Comparative Law
    • Tracing U.S. origins to classical antiquity and Italian philosophical thought
  • Professor Richard Guy Wilson, holds the Commonwealth Professor's Chair in Architectural History at the University of Virginia
    • Exploring the ancient Roman and Italian roots of White House architecture
  • Meredith Levin, Western European Humanities Librarian, Columbia University Libraries
    • Illustrating the impact of Italy and Italian culture on life in the Executive Mansion and Washington, D.C.
• Concluding Remarks
  • Professor Barbara Faedda, Associate Director, Italian Academy for Advanced Studies and Adjunct Assistance Professor, Department of Italian, Columbia University
    • An Italian perspective on the U.S.-Italy relationship

3:15pm-4:00pm

• Reception with Italian music previously performed at the White House (Herrera and Loisha)
  • "Vi Ravviso" La Sonnambula - V. Bellini
    • Originally performed at the White House by Etelka Gerster during the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes
  • La Serenata - F.P. Tosti
    • Originally performed by Luciano Pavarotti for President Ronald Reagan on March 26, 1981 at the Ford's Theater Gala