Table Eighteen at 50th Anniversary Dinner

Name/Title

Table Eighteen at 50th Anniversary Dinner

Entry/Object ID

2021.6.57

Description

Color photograph. Rectangular. Shot landscape orientation. Pictured are eight individuals seated at a round table. There is a large floral arrangement centerpiece on the table. All guests are smiling and facing the camera. On the reverse, "5524" is written in blue ink in the bottom right corner. The reverse also includes a small label that lists in handwritten cursive the names of all the individuals in the photo. The names are not written in sequential left to right order, but by using other photographs in this accession (2024.6.55, 2024.6.16, 2024.6.26), which six out of eight of these individuals are also pictured in (Mr. and Mrs. Davis Lee Kennedy are only pictured in this photograph), the order of individuals from left to right is the following: Leah Duncan (she is identified as Mrs. William Duncan on the reverse label), Davis Lee Kennedy, Shannon Will, Carol Will, Richard Will, Mrs. Davis Lee Kennedy, Thomas Moncure, and Stephen Will.

Made/Created

Notes

Original

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Label

Location

Reverse center

Transcription

TABLE EIGHTEEN M/M Richard Will Shannon Will Stephen Will Mrs. William Duncan M/M DAVIS LEE Kennedy Thomas Moncure

Language

English

Material/Technique

Ink

Provenance

Notes

The PHMF Golden Anniversary Celebration was held on Thursday, October 27, 1994, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Foundation's establishment. The PHMF was incorporated on October 27, 1944. The event was held at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia. Richard "Dick" S. Will (1936–2022) was an active trustee of the PHMF at the time of this event. Carol Will is his wife. The Mrs. William Duncan pictured in this photo is Richard Will's sister, Leah (Will) Duncan. Thomas M. Moncure Jr. (1951–) served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1982 to 1988. The Davis Lee Kennedy (1938–) pictured in this photograph is likely the Davis Lee Kennedy written about in a "New York Times" article published on May 1, 1977, which announced his marriage to Heningham Fulton George (1925–1991). The article noted that Kennedy was a descendant of Patrick Henry. Interestingly, Heningham was the name of Elizabeth Watkins Henry (1855–1920) and James Lyons's (1857–1913) daughter. Elizabeth Lyons was Patrick Henry's great-granddaughter and the sister of Lucy Gray Henry Harrison (1857–1944). However, no definitive evidence has been found that suggests that Heningham Fulton George, who became Mrs. Davis Lee Kennedy, is a descendant of Patrick Henry. A "Baltimore Sun" article, published the same day as the "New York Times" article, also noted that Kennedy descended from Patrick Henry. The "Sun" article also notes that Kennedy's great-grandfather was Senator Henry Gassaway Davis (1823–1916), a Democrat from West Virginia. In 1904, at 82 years old, Senator Davis ran for vice president with presidential candidate Alton B. Parker (1852–1926). They campaigned against then-President Theodore Roosevelt and his vice presidential pick, Charles W. Fairbanks (1852–1918). This article also states that Heningham Fulton George has a brother named Peter Lyons C. George. Peter Lyons is a Henry family name. The "Sun" article includes a photo of the newlywed Mrs. Davis Lee Kennedy in her wedding gown. The Mrs. Davis Lee Kennedy in the "Sun" article appears to be the younger version of the Mrs. Davis Lee Kennedy in this photograph. Staff found this photograph in the existing files of Red Hill's collection and accessioned it on May 30, 2024, due to its importance to PHMF's institutional history.