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Lafayette is Here

The Marquis de Lafayette in Virginia

Location
Read & Relax
Special Collections Lobby

Duration
-

Image
Handwritten honorary degree diploma in gold frame with faded blue ribbon attached and red wax seal on lower left
Diploma from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, certifying that Lafayette was received there as an Honorary Doctor of Civil Law, Fondation Josée et René de Chambrun, 16.1.175

The honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree presented to the Marquis de Lafayette in 1824 is on loan from the Chambrun Foundation who preserves and maintains Lafayette’s estate, Chateau de Lagrange, and its archives. The display of the document coincides with the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of commemorate Lafayette's visit to Williamsburg during his 1824-1825 tour of the U.S.

The exhibit also features items from William & Mary Libraries' Special Collections Research Center related to Lafayette: letters, documents, images, and ephemera concern Lafayette’s role in the Virginia Campaign of 1781 during the American Revolution, his visit to Virginia during his tour of the United States in 1824-1825, and James Armistead Lafayette, the enslaved spy who provided immeasurable support to the Continental Army during the Virginia campaign.

Related Events and Exhibits:


Curator: Jay Gaidmore, Marian and Alan McLeod Director of Special Collections

Design: André Poniewozik '26, SCRC Graphics Student Assistant; and Jennie Davy, Exhibits & Artifacts Curator

Preparation and Installation: Jennie Davy; Emma Kaufman-Horner '27, Special Collections Student Assistant; and Eve-Marie History Department M.A. Student and Special Collections Graduate Apprentice

Special Thanks: American Friends of Lafayette,Vincent Bouat-Ferlier, Bill Cole, Carrie L. Cooper, Laura Fogarty, Fondation Josée et René de Chambrun, Michael Fox, Julien Icher, Deborah Lee-Ferrand, Forsyth Special Collections Fund, Kevin Gilliam, Tom McSweeney, Melissa Parris, Susan Riggs, Bruno Roman, Bill Schermerhorn, Feleasha Sherfy, Ann Marie Stock, Bill Vega, Virginia Museum of History and Culture, Kaitlyn Weathers, William & Mary Strategic Cultural Partnerships, and William & Mary Office of the President