First Ladies of the Civil War [F-14-25]

Come hear the contrasting, yet ultimately comparative, stories of the two first ladies of the Civil War: Mary Todd Lincoln and Varina Davis. Both these women were examples to their constituencies of how to live in the situations in which they found themselves.

Fran Van Horne is a history buff who especially enjoys learning about how famous women lived and behaved. Fran has taught numerous SOAR courses (on Queen Victoria, and on the Vanderbilts) and a series of courses on the First Ladies. She has also done presentations on the American Quilt Project, Claxton-Hepburn Hospital, and the 1918 Flu Epidemic. Fran and her husband Otis were named “Super SOARers” in spring 2009.