The American Society of Le Souvenir Français Inc.

SPECIAL EDITION BULLETIN

Lafayette National Symposium

Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT.

Saturday, September 7, 2024

Open VISIONS Forum

“Lafayette and the Enduring Struggle

for Human Rights and Democratic Governments," 

Presented by Fairfield University and The American Friends of Lafayette at

Fairfield University, Barone Campus Center's Dogwood Room, 1073 N Benson Rd, Fairfield, CT 06824

• This event is free and open to the public.

• Register to attend at:

https://quickcenter.fairfield.edu/2024-25-season-calendar/lectures/lafayette-symposium.html

Morning session:

"Lafayette: Historiography and Biography, and Lessons for Today"

Moderator:

• Dr. Lloyd Kramer, History Professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Author of Lafayette in Two Worlds: Public Cultures and Personal Identities in an Age of Revolutions.

Panelists:

• Dr. Robert Rhodes Crout, History Professor Emeritus at College of Charleston and President Emeritus of the American Friends of Lafayette. Associate Editor of Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution: Selected Letters and Papers, 1776-1790, volumes III-V.

• Dr. Paul S. Spalding, Religion Professor Emeritus at Illinois College. Author of Lafayette: Prisoner of State.

• Mike Duncan, podcaster and best-selling author of Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution.

Afternoon session:

"Lafayette and Human Rights"

Moderator:

Alan Hoffman, President of the American Friends of Lafayette. Translator of Auguste Levasseur’s Lafayette in America in 1824 and 1825: Journal of a Voyage to the United States

Panelists:

• Dr. Lloyd Kramer, History Professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Author of Lafayette in Two Worlds: Public Cultures and Personal Identities in an Age of Revolutions.

• Dr. John Stauffer, Professor of American Studies and African American Studies at Harvard University. Author of Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

• Diane Shaw, Director Emerita of Special Collections & College Archives at Lafayette College, which has extensive holdings on the Marquis de Lafayette. Co-editor and contributing author of “A True Friend of the Cause”: Lafayette and the Antislavery Movement.

• Live stream option: Just click on this link the day of the event:

https://quickcenter.fairfield.edu/thequicklive/

General Lafayette will arrive at 9:30am; panel presentations begin at 10:00am.

Historian and reenactor Mark Schneider will be performing a live improvisation along with student cast members from the University's Theatre Fairfield program.

In addition to Fairfield University, The American Friends of Lafayette, and the Fairfield Museum and History Center, symposium sponsors include the Daughters of the American Revolution, Burr Chapter, Pequot Library, Moffly Media, and the Delamar.

A special afternoon

Tribute to Lafayette

"Lafayette, a Human Rights Champion"

Open to the Public

• 3:30PM: Wreath-laying at the Lafayette & Washington statue, Lafayette Square, 114th Street and Morningside Avenue.

• 3:50PM: Walk (5 minutes through the Park) from the statue to Church of Notre-Dame where we will be hosted for a special lecture and musical program.

• 4:00PM: Lecture at Church of Notre-Dame, 405 West 114th Street, on the theme "Lafayette, a Human Rights Champion" by Diane Shaw, Director Emerita of Special Collections & College Archives at Lafayette College, which has extensive holdings on the Marquis de Lafayette. Co-editor and contributing author of “A True Friend of the Cause”: Lafayette and the Antislavery Movement.

• An organ concert featuring period music composed for Lafayette will be performed by Dr. Kalle Toivio's, as well as:

• A choir performance under the direction of Mr. Sylvestre Kouadio with African traditional and popular music.

• 6:00PM: Refreshments at the Community room will conclude this very special program!

Our heartfelt thanks to Rev. Peter A. Heasley, S.Th.D., Pastor, Parish of Corpus Christi and Notre Dame for welcoming us, to Dr. Toivio and Mr. Kouadio for preparing a unique musical program, to Diane Shaw for her presentation of Lafayette's humanist values, and to Mme Françoise Cestac, and Prof. Clément Mbom, respectively Honorary president and Board member of our Society, for facilitating the event.

Free Event - everyone is welcome.

Registration required by clicking: HERE

An optional donation of $20 at registration will help defray the cost of the program.

This event is organized by The American Friends of Lafayette and our Society.

Special Events in Albany, NY



Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Tuesday - September 17, 2024

• 10:00 A.M : Congregate at Lafayette Park, Washington Avenue, across from the Capitol - Arrive by 9:30 AM

Welcome by the Offices of the Mayor & County Executive

Proceed across the street to the Capitol

• 10:45 AM: Capitol tour including remarks by Governor's office for official greeting, exhibit of artifacts coordinated by New York State Office of General

Services, Curatorial Services and the New York State Museum followed

by proclamations from elected officials

FREE ADMISSION

Limited Capacity

Pre-registration is required.

See attached registration link below.

• 12:30 PM: Lunch at Albany Masonic Temple - 67 Corning Place, Albany, NY 12207

Pre-Registration is required @ $25.00 per person.

See attached registration link below.

Panel discussion on Lafayette's commitment to individual freedoms,

abolitionism, and women's rights by Paul Stewart, Founder of Underground Railroad Education Center and Alan Hoffman President of American Friends of Lafayette. Followed by a tour of the Masonic Temple which will feature the sword that the Marquis de Lafayette gifted to Governor Clinton in 1824. This is a unique opportunity to view this fascinating artifact that is typically not on display to the public.

• 2:30 PM: Guided walking tour of downtown historical sites by Ton Opalka Albany City Historian. Jack McEneny Albany County Historian, and Maeve

McEneny-Johnson Discover Albany Director of Community Engagement

FREE EVENT

Pre-registration is required.

See attached registration link below.

• 6:00 PM: Evening Celebration Cocktail Hour -The Century House - 997 Loudon

Road, Latham, NY 12210

The members of the 2nd Continental Artillery Unit will serve as Color

Guard to greet our guests. Meet and Greet the Marquis de Lafayette!

• 6:30 PM: Dinner will feature a delightful meal expressly created by the Century House Chef in honor of Lafayette's return to Albany; Wine from the

Williamsburg Winery in Williamsburg, Virginia created in honor of

Lafayette's Bicentennial Celebrations: a unique memento: and Keynote

Speaker Chris Ruli, Author of the new Lafayette book Brother

Lafayette.

Pre-Registration is required @, $90.00 per person.



Click HERE for complete details

Click HERE for registration.

Presented by:

Sandy Zerrillo Albany DAR Chair

Bicentennial Tour

(518) 588-9194 Rzerrillo@aol.com

Ron Mason Albany Chair

Bicentennial Tour

(518) 810-7090 rwmgolf47@gmail.com

www.lafayette200.org

Be Part of Lafayette’s Return to New Jersey!



Events Planned Sept. 23rd to 26th

• The Marquis de Lafayette will return to New Jersey September 23-26, exactly 200 years after his “Grand Farewell Tour,” where he will visit Jersey City, Elizabeth, Rahway, Princeton.

• Register now for the Grand Welcome Reception at the Historic Trenton Masonic Temple, as tickets are available on a first-come, first-served by clicking: HERE. The reception at 6 pm will follow a welcome at the nearby State House, where Lafayette will be greeted by dignitaries in the New Jersey Assembly Chamber—details still being finalized.

• A New Jersey highlight is the free public lecture by the highly regarded historian Dr. Sean Wilentz, Princeton University’s George Henry Davis 1886 Professor of American History. He will be introduced by our Lafayette reenactor Michael Halbert and speak on the topic of Lafayette and the Politics of Division, at the Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton at 10

am.

• Dr. Wilentz will discuss the Marquis de Lafayette, a strong abolitionist at a time when American politics was increasingly riven over slavery’s future in the new republic.

The current list of New Jersey events includes:

• Sept. 23: Lafayette returns to Jersey City’s Bergen neighborhood with a

ceremony at the Jersey City Public Library – Five Corners Branch, 678 Newark Ave. from 11 am to noon, followed by a reception at the nearby Museum of Jersey City History at the Van Wagenen (Apple Tree) House at 298 Academy St, until 1pm. The presentation is a collaboration of the American Friends of Lafayette with the Jersey City Museum of History and will involve the unveiling of a Lafayette plaque and a reenactment of the 1824 presentation of an apple tree cane to General Lafayette. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop will also proclaim September 23 to be Lafayette Day in Jersey City.

• Sept. 24: Lafayette returns to Rahway, NJ, for a commemorative wreath placing at Lafayette Masonic Lodge #27 at 1550 Irving St., from 10 to 11 am.

• Sept. 24: At the Princeton Public Library there will be a free panel discussion and showing of the film Lafayette: The Lost Hero, a PBS documentary, in the Community Room from 7 to 8:30 pm. The film will be introduced by Paul Larson, chair of the New Jersey Lafayette Bicentennial Committee, and Anne de Broca-Hoppenot, Honorary Consul of France in New Jersey. More information can be found: HERE

• Sept. 25: Public Lecture by Princeton University Professor Sean Wilentz, at Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau St., 10 to 11:30 am. His free lecture, “Lafayette and the Politics of Division,” will follow remarks by the Lafayette reenactor provided by the American Friends of Lafayette, on the anniversary of his receiving an honorary degree from the university, then known as the College of New Jersey. Free and open to the public.

• Sept. 25: Lafayette returns to the New Jersey State House, the nation’s third oldest capitol building, during the afternoon of September 25, with additional details to come. A Lafayette reenactor will be received in the Assembly Chamber where he appeared 200 years earlier, to the day, he was received by the Mayor of Trenton. Free and open to the public.

• Sept. 25: Grand Welcome Reception of Lafayette in Trenton at the Historic Trenton Masonic Temple, 100 Barrack St., 6 to 8 pm. Live music of the period will be played, and short remarks delivered by dignitaries. Tickets cost $45 per person and are available by clicking: HERE

 The Princeton University Firestone Library has created a virtual collection of items in its archives available to the public. Among the items are a printed invitation to a ball in Yorktown, VA in 1824; an invitation to a sword presentation to Lafayette in New York; a badge commemorating Lafayette’s Farewell Tour, and a Lafayette letter to Thomas Jefferson. Details can be found by clicking: HERE

Note: New Jersey events also include a reception at Boxwood Hall in Elizabeth

organized by the Westfield DAR, but this event has sold out.

The Westchester Lafayette Bicentennial Gala

Friday, September 27

Let's celebrate 200 years of history at

The Westchester Lafayette Bicentennial Gala!

• Join Huguenot Lodge No. 46 as we celebrate Westchester County’s early days from the American Revolution through the early 19th Century as we honor the memory of one of this nation and France’s greatest heroes and raise money for the Westchester County Historical Society.

• Experience early America, as we serve some of Lafayette’s favorite foods and toast to this amazing man who dedicated his life to freedom and the abolishment of slavery world wide. Learn all about his visit in 1824 and 1825, when he reminded America who she is and revived the spirit of the nation, from the famous historian and author, Chris Ruli and his latest book “Brother Lafayette.”

Where: Kisco Lodge No.708 Free & Accepted Masons

11 Carpenter Avenue Mount Kisco, NY 10549

When: Friday, September 27 · 6:30 - 11pm EDT

Tickets $55.20 p/p:

www.eventbrite.com/e/the-westchester-lafayette-bicentennial-gala-tickets-984013018427

Black tie optional - Organized by Huguenot Masonic Lodge #46

Lafayette weekend in Philadelphia



September 27th to 29th, 2024

Finally...the City of Brotherly Love.

Philadelphia...where Lafayette spent so much time. Where Lafayette met

George Washington and later named Independence Hall. Where Lafayette

pledged his allegiance to our country...

Tickets for the Saturday night Soiree are going fast.

DON'T MISS OUT !!!!

Please read carefully.

Or you can skip this email and simply register by clicking: HERE

Please note that the Philadelphia Committee of the American Friends of Lafayette has negotiated outstanding and reasonably priced hotel accommodations for the weekend. See details at the bottom of this email.

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Friday, September 27, 2024:

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Christ Church, 20 N. American Street, Philadelphia, Pa

11:00AM: Historical Presentation, Concert and Lunch

Kick off the weekend with Christ Church Preservation Trust and the American

Friends of Lafayette who will commemorate Lafayette’s 1824 visit to Philadelphia

through a historical and musical program in the Christ Church sanctuary. A short

program about Lafayette and the history of Christ Church will be followed by an

organ and carillon concert with music inspired by Lafayette. Lunch in the Christ

Church north garden will follow the program.

Price: $35 includes lunch, lecture and concert.

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The Rosenbach, 2008-2010 Delancey Street, Philadelphia, Pa

Behind the Bookcase Tour

Ally of Liberty – During the bicentennial of the Marquis de Lafayette’s triumphal tour of the United States, visit the Rosenbach to view (and even touch!) remarkable manuscripts documenting the French aristocrat’s central part in the American Revolution. This tour will examine Lafayette’s early life, his Enlightenment and Revolutionary ideals, his service during the American Revolution and attitudes toward enslavement and abolition, as well as what his life and legacy reveals about the Franco-American alliance and the long legacies of the Age of Revolutions. The heart of the tour will be a study of letters exchanged among Lafayette, Washington, and other members of the Founding generation between 1778 and 1846.

There are two timeslots: 1:30pm to 2:45pm AND 3:00pm to 4:15pm

Price $15 pp

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Independence Visitor Center, 599 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa

Lafayette Walking Tour With the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides

Sites: Carpenters’ Hall, City Tavern, the Powel House (inside shortened tour), Old St. Joseph's Church and ending at Independence Hall.

There are four timeslots: 11:00am, 12:00pm, 1:00pm and 2:00pm

Price: $25 pp

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Independence Hall, 520 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa

5:00PM: Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Independence Hall after hours

Take advantage of this rare opportunity to see areas of the Pennsylvania State House – renamed Independence Hall by Lafayette - never seen by the public! The one-hour tour will be led by a National Park Service Ranger very well versed in Lafayette’s connection with events that transpired in Independence Hall and will cover the years of the Continental Congress, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitutional Convention and the signing of the US Constitution, and many other fascinating aspects of Independence Hall's history, both pre and post American Revolution. Will begin promptly at 5 pm and require a security screening.

Security note on Independence Hall Tour: You will need to pass through the red Security tent before meeting with fellow AFL members behind Independence Hall. Arriving up to 45 minutes ahead of time is suggested in case of long security lines. Visitors must pass through a security screening area to visit the buildings on Independence Square, including Independence Hall. The screening area is located adjacent to Old City Hall, near the corner of 5th and Chestnut Streets. To maximize your visit to the park, and minimize your security screening time, the park recommends that you bring only small bags, if necessary. The fewer items you have to be checked, the more time you will have to enjoy the buildings on Independence Square. No weapons, pepper spray, or pocketknives are permitted through security.

Free of Charge but requires registration.

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Glory Beer Bar & Kitchen, 126 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, Pa

6:30PM: Un Repas Festif

A casual night of Lafayette inspired fun, featuring a variety of hors d’oeuvre stations including dips and spreads, charcuterie, baked brie, assorted skewers, French Bistro Salad, Ham Baguette Board, and desserts! We’ll have trivia games, photo ops and door prizes, wear your AFL gear or Lafayette attire!

Price: $55 pp including tax and gratuity (limited to 75 people with cash car)

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Saturday, September 28, 2024

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Fete Lafayette - All-Day Festival

This is going to be fun, meaningful and FREE.

Fete Lafayette all day on Independence Mall - 10:30am – 3:00pm

Parade, Musical Performances, Lafayette and his Tent, Drumming,

Cultural/Historical Exhibits and Displays, History Pop-Ups, and more.

Open to all, free of charge.

9:30am - Army Brass Quintet Music and Opening Ceremonies: National Constitution

Center Plaza

10:00am - Join the Parade across Independence Mall: Including drumming, uniformed

and costumed marchers ... and you!

10:30am - Here comes Lafayette! Lafayette arrives in a horse drawn carriage from

Carpenters’ Hall to Independence Hall escorted by the mounted First City Troop

10:30 am - Welcome Lafayette Program: Independence Hall

Musical Performances - Army Fife and Drum CorpsBlack Powder Gun Salute - Commander in Chief's Guard

12:00 Noon - “Lafayette’s Legacy and the First Amendment” Presentation at the National Constitution Center

12:45pm - Lunch Break (see below)

1:30pm - "Musical History of Francis "Frank" Johnson" African American Composer at the National Constitution Center Plaza

3:30pm – Naturalization Ceremony at the Betsy Ross House (two blocks down Arch

Street - 239 Arch)

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National Constitution Center, 525 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pa

12:45 pm: Fête Lafayette Panier-Repas (Box Lunch)

You might want lunch while being entertained and educated.

$26 pp (a section of lunch types can be found in the registration link).

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Independence Visitor Center, 599 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa

Lafayette Walking Tour with the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides

Sites: Carpenters’ Hall, City Tavern, the Powel House (inside shortened tour), Old St. Joseph's Church and ending at Independence Hall.

There are four timeslots: 11:00am, 12:00pm, 1:00pm (IN FRENCH) and 2:00pm

Price: $25 pp

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Masonic Temple, One North Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pa

6:00 pm-10:00 pm

Tickets for the Saturday night Soiree are going fast.

DON'T MISS OUT!!!!

Lafayette Soirée

This is going to be the event of the year. Being held in one of the most spectacular buildings in America. The food is being provided by Catering By Design, which is one of the only caterers that have has earned a Michelin star!!

Everything starts with an elegant cocktail hour with tours of the Masonic Temple. There will be a buffet offering five elegant hors-d'oeuvres during the cocktail hour.

Then we are off to the marvelous Benjamin Franklin Ballroom for a plated French Dinner (choice of 3 options: Coq au Vin, Boeuf Bourguignon and Champignons Bourguignon).

During dinner you will be entertained by a trio of musicians playing period music on period instruments. Then after dinner, with the help of a dance master, period dancing will begin.

Period dress encouraged...but not required.

Cost: $250

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Sunday, September 29, 2024

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Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. 3rd St., Philadelphia, Pa

8:30AM: Exclusive Museum Tour

This is a before hours exclusive event.

We will have the Museum of the American Revolution to ourselves

Experienced guides at the MoAR will present both the current exhibition Witness to Revolution, The Unlikely Travels of Washington's Tent (highlighting the Lafayette material), and introduce the exhibition of Washington's Revolutionary War tent itself. Tour will take place before the museum opens; price includes museum admission and participants are welcome to stay and see the remainder of the museum.

Price $55 includes coffee and donuts

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Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. 3rd St., Philadelphia, Pa

10:00AM: Lafayette Bus Tour

Excursion includes stops at two historic sites in Philadelphia visited by Lafayette during his return to America in 1824-25.

Guests will be greeted by AFL members at the Museum of the American Revolution. An AFL escort will accompany the motor coach and provide relevant commentary during the excursion.

First destination is Eastern State Penitentiary for a 10:45 a.m. site tour and presentation. At 11:45 a.m., guests will rejoin tour bus and travel to second destination, historic Strawberry Mansion in East Fairmount Park.

There, guests will be served a custom gourmet box lunch, with docent tours of the mansion and award-winning gardens available between 12:00 and 1:45 p.m.

The excursion will depart Strawberry Mansion at 2 p.m. and return to the Museum of American Revolution.

Time and access permitting, the motor coaches will travel through East Fairmount Park to view other historic summer villas that were familiar to Lafayette during the years of the Revolution and also upon his return to America 50 years later.

Price $135: includes all museum fees, bus costs, catered box lunch and all

gratuities. The small motor coach buses are outfitted with on-board lavatories, DVD, Wifi and USB outlets for passenger use.

YOU CAN REGISTER FOR EACH EVENT

INDIVIDUALLY BY CLICKING: HERE

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Staying in Philadelphia:

AFL has established room blocks at four (4) hotels in the city convenient for the

Lafayette Bicentennial festivities. One (the Monaco) is adjacent to Independence Mall. Another (the Notary) is adjacent to the Masonic Temple, convenient for those attending the Soiree on Saturday evening. Two others are located a little further away on South Broad St. All have heavily discounted rates from the regular rack rate for the three nights of September 27, 28 and 29.

Registrants must use the links provided to secure these rates. The links will take

you to the specially created AFL portal on each hotel's website. Note that the cut-

off date for registering is August 28, except for The Notary which is September

3. After that date, all rooms are returned to the hotel pool and regular rates will

apply.

Here are the four hotels...

Cambria Hotel & Suites

219 S. Broad, St., Philadelphia, PA 19107

Friday, 9/27/24 -- Sunday, 9/29/24

$219.00 per night

https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/ZA43M0

Hyatt Centric

1620 Chancellor Street Philadelphia, PA 19103

Friday, 9/27/24 -- Sunday, 9/29/24

$249.00 per night

https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/PHLCT/G-LAFA

The Monaco

433 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Friday, 9/27/24 -- Sunday, 9/29/24

$259.00 per night

https://bit.ly/3WndXtU

The Notary

21 North Juniper St., Philadelphia, PA 19107

Friday, 9/27/24 -- Sunday, 9/29/24

$ 267 00 per night$ 267.00 per night

https://book.passkey.com/go/AFLBicentennialCelebration

Organized by The American Friends of Lafayette with the support of:

The Consulate General of France in Washington, the Honorary Consul of France in Philadelphia, French-American Chamber of Commerce, Alliance Française de Philadelphie, Philadelphie Accueil, French International School of Philadelphia, PhilaFLAM, French Heritage Society.

https://www.faccphila.org/9-28-24-lafayette-bicentennial-celebration

For more reading on Lafayette in Philadelphia:

https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/lafayettes-tour/

"Lafayette Redux: Exploring the Man and the Mania"

Lexington, Massachusetts

Friday, September 27

Lecture:

"Lafayette Redux: Exploring the Man and the Mania"

By Alan Hoffman, president of The American Friends of Lafayette

How does it happen that Americans are still staging rituals of adulation for Lafayette, cheering him on Broadway, 190 years after his death? It's entirely fitting, as it turns out, because if anyone is suitable for immortality, it's the Marquis. Come explore why the man may well have been even greater than his myth, with one of the nation's leading Lafayette aficionados, Alan Hoffman. He'll talk us through Lafayette's triumphs and setbacks, his astonishing accomplishments, and the lessons his life holds for each one of us and for our society.

Doors open at 6:30 for refreshments.

When:

Thursday, September 26 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Where:

The Depot, 13 Depot Square Lexington, MA 02420

$10 AFL members, $15 nonmembers

Commemorate - Celebrate - Educate

The list of events publicized above is not exhaustive.

They are dozens of events organized throughout the nation

by many patriotic, civic and educational organizations.

For more complete details, please visit: Lafayette200.org

Mark Schneider (a.k.a. the Marquis de Lafayette, a.k.a. Napoleon Bonaparte, a.k.a. Marquis Mark) spoke to The New York Times about the joy he has found in portraying Lafayette, "the Hero of Two Worlds".

We recommend this great read at the start of the bicentennial of the Farewell Tour of the famed General in the front page of New York Times, August 16, 2024:

"For the Man Who Plays Lafayette, It’s a Marquis Event"