
Presented by the White House Historical Association
Founding Mother, Mary Ball Washington
- Host
- Stewart McLaurin
- Guest
- Craig Shirley, Author and Historian
- Date
- 5/7/20
- Duration
- 42 minutes
George Washington might not have become the Founding Father we know today if not for the influence of his mother. For Mother’s Day, Association President Stewart McLaurin interviews Craig Shirley, author of Mary Ball Washington: The Untold Story of Washington’s Mother, about how our first president’s life and personality was shaped by the unique character of his mother.
Episodes
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Remembering President John F. Kennedy: A 60th Anniversary Special
Featuring Luci Baines Johnson, Daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson and First Lady Lady Bird Johnson; John Dalton, Former U.S. Secretary of the Navy; Robert McGee, member of the White House Historical Association’s National Council on White House History
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Home Again with Susan Ford Bales
Featuring Susan Ford Bales, daughter of President Gerald R. Ford and First Lady Betty Ford
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U.S. First Ladies: Making History and Leaving Legacies
Featuring Anita McBride, founding member of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education and co-author of U.S. First Ladies: Making History and Leaving Legacies
-
An Ordinary Man: President Gerald R. Ford
Featuring Richard Norton Smith, historian and author of "An Ordinary Man: The Surprising Life and Historic Presidency of Gerald R. Ford"
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Bunny Mellon and the White House Rose Garden
Featuring Thomas Lloyd, co-author of “Garden Secrets of Bunny Mellon” and member of the White House Historical Association’s National Council
-
The Ten Habits of Good Citizens
Featuring Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations
-
At the Helm with John H. Dalton
Featuring John H. Dalton, Former Secretary of the Navy and emeritus member of the White House Historical Association's Board of Directors

President of the White House Historical Association
As President of the White House Historical Association Stewart McLaurin leads the nonpartisan, nonprofit in its mission to preserve, protect, and provide access to White House history. As a lifelong student of history, Stewart is an avid reader and storyteller. His first book, White House Miscellany was published this past year and he authors a quarterly column in the White House History Journal. Drawing on his own experiences, relationships, and knowledge he provides listeners with a front row seat to history at the White House.