News and Events
June 7 Happy Hour: A Bourbon Tasting
National News
A Bourbon Tasting: Evan Williams Virtual Bourbon Experience
Wednesday, June 7, 2023 at 4 PM (ET)
Hosted by The ESU Kentucky Branch with Co-Host Kate Nitzken
Learn about the history of Evan Williams and Louisville, Kentucky. We will taste 3 award-winning Bourbons from the Evan Williams family of products [Evan Williams Signature Black Label, Evan Williams 1783, and Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond]. We will end by making an Old-Fashioned cocktail using a recipe from another famous Louisvillian, Tom Bullock.
One of our award-winning Bourbon Educators from Kentucky will be leading you through this historical tasting and cocktail demonstration!
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May 17 Happy Hour:
National News
Flora Macdonald: Scottish Heroine, American Loyalist and My Namesake, by Flora Fraser
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 4 PM (ET)
Hosted by ESU Chairman, Dr. Quinn Peeper
Join our next ESU Happy Hour on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 4:00 pm ET hosted by ESU Chairman Dr. Quinn Peeper. Dr. Peeper will be introducing Flora Fraser, a historical biographer specializing in 18th-century women. Fraser invites you to raise a Highland Whisky or whisky-less sour to Scottish heroine, Flora Macdonald, the subject of her latest book.
The author grew up in the Highlands and was named, like many there, after this Scottish heroine. When Bonnie Prince Charlie was a fugitive in the Western Isles in 1746 after the disastrous defeat of his Jacobite army at Culloden, Flora Macdonald and he escaped from Hanoverian redcoats "O'er the sea to Skye". Author Flora Fraser will share with you, historical images of the Stuart prince dressed as Flora's Irish maidservant and of the heroine herself, painted by leading London artists.
Flora Macdonald's fame justly endures to this day, in poetry, song and dance, in Outlander, and on Walker's shortbread biscuit tins. She was not born into wealth or great rank, nor did she have a superior education. Nevertheless, she managed to negotiate civil war on either side of the Atlantic and receive, in her final years on Skye, a Royal pension from a Hanoverian prince too! Flora Fraser hopes you will enjoy surveying with her this remarkable life.
About Flora Fraser
Flora Fraser is a historical biographer, based in London, specializing in archival research on women of the eighteenth century in Europe and in America. Her books include Beloved Emma: The Life of Emma, Lady Hamilton, The Unruly Queen: The Life of Queen Caroline, Princesses: The Daughters of George III, and Venus of Empire: The Life of Pauline Bonaparte.
Her recent book, The Washingtons: George and Martha, won the 2016 George Washington Book Prize. Her new life of Scottish heroine, Flora Macdonald is available in the UK as Flora Macdonald 'Pretty Young Rebel' (Bloomsbury) and in the US as Flora Macdonald: "Pretty Young Rebel": Her Life and Story (Knopf).
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Chairman's May Newsletter
National News
A Message from Chairman Dr. Quinn Peeper
Dear Friends,
April is a special month for the English-Speaking Union, as it is the time when we all celebrate Shakespeare's legacy through the ESU National Shakespeare Competition. The National Shakespeare Competition finals held over the weekend of April 22-24 in New York City were especially thrilling. It was the first time since the Covid pandemic began that the young contestants, their families, teachers, ESU volunteers, Board and staff came together in person to mark an important milestone – the Competition's 40th birthday.
ESU 2023 National Shakespeare Competition Contestants, Lincoln Center Plaza
The ESU National Shakespeare Competition is embraced by students, teachers and our members across the country because it embodies so well the ESU's mission to foster goodwill, inspire common bonds, promote civil discourse and unlock opportunities through the power of the English language.
As many of you know, the ESU National Shakespeare Competition provides a unique opportunity for young people to delve into Shakespeare's works and develop their public speaking and performance skills. Thanks to the hard work of our ESU Branch Shakespeare Coordinators, who engage with local schools and help to organize the local competitions, high school students guided by their teachers read, analyze and perform Shakespeare's monologues and sonnets in three qualifying stages – at the school, Branch and national levels.
Competing in the program is a rigorous academic and artistic pursuit. Reading, analyzing, and understanding Shakespeare's works exercise students' intellect, teach them discipline and focus, and deepen their appreciation for the power of the spoken word.
The Competition is a forum for artistic expression. It fosters a sense of individuality and creativity as students develop their own interpretation of the text.
Taking part in the ESU National Shakespeare Competition strengthens students' self-confidence, teaches them the skills of persuasion and prepares them for the ambiguities of life.
And last but not least, Shakespeare's timeless and universal themes of love and hate, pride and envy, betrayal and honor, fear and grief teach students the enduring values of integrity, responsibility and empathy.
To mark the Competition's 40th anniversary and celebrate the return to an in-person event, we devised a special 40th Anniversary National Shakespeare Competition weekend in New York City. Students, their families, teachers, Branch coordinators and guests explored our great city, took in some of the world-renowned sites, and participated in a variety of exciting activities including a brunch at the ESU headquarters, a performance workshop and a Broadway show. The weekend culminated in the final rounds of the Competition at Lincoln Center.
Each contestant brought their unique interpretation and style to the stage, showcasing their understanding of Shakespeare's language and themes. It was evident that the students had invested countless hours into perfecting their performances, and their hard work paid off in the quality of their presentations.
Elena Hollenbeak of the ESU Hawaii Branch won the grand prize - scholarship to the British American Drama Academy Midsummer Conservatory Program in London - with her thoughtful renditions of Sonnet 14 and Lady Macbeth from Macbeth. Her teacher, Lyn Ackerman at St. Andrews School – the Priory, received the $1,000 Teacher Recognition Award.
Casey Kerr of the ESU Central Florida Branch took second place with her performances of Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Sonnet 81. Nicole Beverly Chien of the ESU New York City Branch took third place for their rendition of Prince Hal in Henry IV and Sonnet 130.
Nearly 8,000 people from around the world voted for this year's ESU National Shakespeare Competition People's Choice Award. The recipient of the People's Choice Award first place prize was Pierre Beatrix Madlangbayan of the Kansas City Branch, student of Robyn Hilt at Garden City High School.
I mentioned the winners because we are all so proud of them. I also want to give thanks to the generous donors of this year's Competition because the success of the event is in great measure due to their invaluable support. Among them are the Competition's long-term generous contributors the Achelis & Bodman Foundation and the Jesse and Dorothy Hartman Foundation, as well as ESU Cleveland which underwrote the People's Choice Award First Place Prize; ESU Denver, sponsor of the participants' Broadway experience; and Competition gold sponsor ESU Central Florida.
I encourage you to read the official press release announcing the winners, peruse the Competition program and enjoy the photo gallery.
I also want to thank all of our members and volunteers who have supported this program over the years, and who continue to do so today. Your dedication and commitment to the English-Speaking Union and its mission are truly inspiring, and we are grateful for your ongoing support.
Right after the Competition, I received letters from two teachers from Orlando, Florida, who had been Teachers Learning Abroad (TLab) scholars sponsored by the ESU Central Florida Branch and who had introduced the ESU National Shakespeare Competition into their public high school.
I encourage you to take a minute and read these letters. They are thoughtful and beautifully written. In addition to expressing their gratitude to the ESU for the life-changing experience in the ESU TLab program, Ms. Gail Chase and Ms. Jennifer Gautier touch on the larger point about the synergies that exist between the ESU's various educational programs and the opportunity these synergies present for organizational growth.
TLab scholarship recipients bringing the ESU National Shakespeare Competition to their schools, National Shakespeare competitors' parents joining the ESU as members, ESU Luard Morse scholars giving ESU Evelyn Wrench Speaker Lectures, Andrew Romay New Immigrant Center alumni becoming donors of the ESU, these are the kinds of interactions that will help to support the ESU's educational programs and strengthen the organization's fabric.
All ESU educational and cultural exchange programs offer extraordinary opportunities for our members to engage with people from different cultures and backgrounds. By interacting with program participants, we gain a deeper understanding of the importance of the ESU's mission and become more invested in supporting its goals. Similarly, the beneficiaries of the ESU programs have experienced first-hand the impact of the ESU's educational opportunities and understand the value they bring to society. By actively involving program beneficiaries in the ESU's activities, the organization will build a community that is passionate about and committed to its mission.
By welcoming program beneficiaries as valued members of the ESU community, the ESU can create a sense of loyalty and belonging and foster a culture of collaboration and partnership where individuals from all backgrounds feel empowered to contribute to the organization's goals. By recognizing their potential, the ESU can tap into a valuable resource for future growth and development. Many program participants are students or professionals who are yet to reach the pinnacle of their careers. By engaging with them early on, the ESU can cultivate a new generation of leaders who are committed to the organization's mission. They are essential to the ESU's future success.
These ideas are not new. They all came from our members during the conversations our consultant Rev. Renee LiaBraaten had with many of you over the summer of 2022 as part of her study on growth at the ESU. The study was presented at a special plenary session of the ESU 2022 Annual General Conference in Charleston, S.C. You all stressed the importance of building on the ESU's ability to bring people together through our shared love of the English language and on our aspiration to use its power to "make people's lives work better," as HRH The Princess Royal put it in her address at the Gala in her honor on October 3, 2022.
Dear friends, as we look to the future, it is clear that the success of our organization depends on the involvement and commitment of all of you – members, as well as volunteers and program participants, your families, and friends. I encourage you to participate actively in the ESU's activities and invite others who share our goals and values to join in. By sharing our message we can build a stronger, more vibrant organization that continues to successfully address the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
With best regards,
Dr. E. Quinn Peeper
Chairman
The English-Speaking Union
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A Special ESU Happy Hour of Coronation Tributes
National News
Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at 5 PM (ET)
A Special ESU Happy Hour of Coronation Tributes
Hosted by The ESU Happy Hour Committee
King Charles III's Coronation will be a historic occasion celebrated all over the world and, for most, will be a once-in-a-lifetime event. Because of the close ties with The English-Speaking Union of the United States and Great Britain, ESU Branches around the U.S. are marking this important occasion with special events, parties, and shared coronation experiences as a tribute to King Charles III.
A special ESU Happy Hour on Wednesday, June 21, will be devoted to ESU Branch tributes to King Charles III's Coronation. We cordially invite ESU Branches to be part of these special Happy Hour Coronation Tributes. Learn more about what you can contribute.
Please send your branch tributes no later than June 5.
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Announcing the Winners of the 40th Anniversary ESU National Shakespeare Competition
National News
Congratulations to the winners of our 2023 40th Anniversary National Shakespeare Competition! We are so proud of each and every student who competed this year.
In first place, Elena Hollenbeak of the ESU Hawaii Branch.
In second place, Casey Kerr of the ESU Central Florida Branch.
In third place, Nicole Beverly Chien of the ESU New York City Branch.
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Register to watch 40th National Shakespeare Competition Finals
National News
Broadcast live from Lincoln Center!
Monday, April 24, 2023
Competition Finals will start at approximately 4:00 PM
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King Charles III's Coronation Celebration
National News
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Chairman's March Newsletter
National News
A Message from Chairman Dr. Quinn Peeper
Dear Friends,
I would like to tell you about one of the English-Speaking Union's most cherished programs – the ESU Luard – and since 2012 – Luard Morse Scholarship. The $25,000 grant offers students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) the unique opportunity to study at a British University of their choice during their junior year. The Scholarship has provided a transformative experience to eighty-eight extraordinary individuals who have become trailblazers in business, government, academia and the arts. To ensure that the program continues and grows, we are launching a fundraising challenge to augment the dedicated endowment fund and provide support for more scholarships.
For those of you who are not familiar with the program, nearly fifty-five years ago in 1969, in a groundbreaking decision, the ESU Board of Directors launched a merit scholarship for HBCU students to study in the United Kingdom. The scholarship was endowed by a bequest in honor of Ms. Lucy Dalbiac Luard, a British national and an ESU member who wished for her legacy to contribute to the "furtherance of friendly relations with England."
We are very proud of this program because it was one of the most forward-looking scholarships at the time, offering Black students an extraordinary educational opportunity.
The first Scholar, Mr. Phillip H. Cole Jr. (1969-70 Wilberforce University/University of Reading) said, "The Luard Scholarship said to me: 'I can do anything I want to, anywhere in the world.'" Mr. Cole was a celebrated dancer, choreographer, master teacher, mentor and humanitarian, who passed away in 2016 at the age of 71.
In 2012 by a resolution of the ESU Board of Directors, the Luard Scholarship was renamed to the ESU Luard Morse Scholarship to recognize the leadership and contributions of one of the program's most prominent alumni, Dr. Laurence C. Morse. Dr. Morse, a student at Howard University at the time, spent his junior year as the 1971-72 ESU Luard scholar at London School of Economics. After earning a Ph.D. from Princeton University, Dr. Morse went on to have a distinguished career in the venture capital and private equity field, support a number of charitable causes and author a book about his college experience. Dr. Morse has been closely involved in the ESU, first as member of the National Board of Directors from 2003 to 2009, and throughout the years as a leader and generous benefactor of the program. During the ESU Centennial Gala, for his many contributions to the organization and the Luard Morse Scholarship, Dr. Morse was awarded the ESU Founder's Award and the inaugural Princess Royal Award, the highest recognitions given by the English-Speaking Union.
Dr. Laurence Morse is one of the eighty-eight exceptional individuals who since 1969 have been awarded scholarships to study at universities in the U.K. including Oxford, Cambridge, and the London School of Economics. And just like Dr. Morse, the other scholars who have benefited from the program are now business leaders, public figures, and prominent academics. All of them, to one degree or another, credit their study abroad as a major factor in their personal and professional growth. The program has truly changed their lives.
As Dr. Morse once described the Scholarship, "The English-Speaking Union of the United States received a gift in honor of Lucy Dalbiac Luard with the stipulation that it be used for a scholarship in her name that would enable Americans to study in England. The year was 1969," Dr. Morse recalled. "It was against a backdrop of public discord and civil unrest that the Board of the English-Speaking Union, in a most expansive and inclusive interpretation of its mission to create global understanding through English, by the stroke of its pen brought onto the playing field in a most magnificent way the segment of the American undergraduate student population for whom opportunities to study abroad were exceedingly rare, if not non-existent."
Younger generations of scholars confirm the program's significance. Mr. Shang Andrews, from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, NC, spoke about his gratitude to be the 2022-2023 Luard Morse Scholar and shared his excitement to be studying at Queen Mary University in London in this short video.
The Luard Morse Scholarship is awarded to the very best.
The selection process is rigorous and highly competitive. The Scholarship invites applicants who excel academically and demonstrate outstanding leadership skills, community involvement, and interest in international affairs, culture and issues of global significance. A Scholarship Selection Committee comprised of Luard Morse alumni gets to know each student through their writing, academic records, and recommendations and evaluates them taking into consideration six important qualities: academic excellence; intellectual curiosity; alignment of aspirations with the ESU Luard Morse Scholarship's purpose; resilience, integrity and adaptability; leadership and community engagement; and ambassadorship, the ability to serve as a communicator abroad and at home.
As part of their application, students are asked to share their goals for their study abroad; give examples of significant personal experiences that have shaped these goals; reflect on the impact their work activity or community service has had on others; and, following Socrates' saying that "to learn to think is to learn to question," discuss a matter that they thought they understood but have learned to question.
The top four candidates travel to New York City for the final round of in-person presentations and interviews with the Selection Committee. The finalist is awarded a $25,000 scholarship for a semester of study at any university in the United Kingdom. And since the Scholarship is for junior year, it allows returning seniors the opportunity to inspire their peers and underclassmen with the rewards that can come through study and effort.
In January, the Luard Morse Scholarship Committee convened in person for the first time since the pandemic to select the 2023-2024 Scholar. The finalist cohort included four exceptional students from across the United States: Michayla George, a Business Major at Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee; Lorenzo Lugo, a Business Major at Morehouse College; Lanise Myers, a Kinesiology Major at North Carolina A & T; and Ellison Richardson, a Political Science Major at Howard University.
After a day of interviews and deliberations, the Selection Committee awarded the 2023-2024 Luard Morse Scholarship to Ms. Michayla George.
"This year's Luard Morse Scholar Michayla George … represents the best and brightest of American undergraduate students. The ESU is honored to support her educational endeavors studying in the United Kingdom. The entire Luard Morse community of Scholars joins me in welcoming Michayla into our ranks and wishing her a safe and extraordinary study-abroad experience," stated Darrell W. Hill, chair of the ESU Luard Morse Scholarship Committee.
The Luard Morse Scholarship is an indelible part of the ESU's programmatic fabric. The Scholarship's impact on young lives is undeniable – and immense. To ensure the program's future, in close collaboration with the Luard Morse alumni, the ESU Board of Directors is launching a campaign to raise funds for one additional scholarship this year. Donations to the endowment fund are also welcome because they strengthen the program in the long term. This campaign will ensure that the program continues to offer exceptional students the unique opportunity to explore their potential and gain the knowledge, skills and mind-set to be successful in the modern global economy.
During her address at the ESU Gala on October 3, 2022, at the Cosmopolitan Club in New York City, our guest of honor, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal praised the ESU's programs for "making a person's life work better." The ESU Luard Morse Scholarship does make a bright young person's life work better. And it does it splendidly.
That's why we appeal not only to the Luard Morse Scholarship community of alumni and supporters, but to all ESU members and friends who appreciate the impact of this program on young lives. We hope that many of you will support the ESU Luard Morse Scholarship.
Please visit the campaign page on our website to make a gift. There you'll see that there are many donation levels to fit a wide range of budgets. No gift is too small to make a difference. The Luard Morse Scholarship is one of the ESU's most influential endeavors with an extraordinary impact on its beneficiaries. Let's make sure that it endures.
With best regards,
Dr. E. Quinn Peeper
Chairman
The English-Speaking Union
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ESU Happy Hour: Churchill: Mobilizing the English Language and Sending It Into Battle with Allen Packwood
National News
Churchill: Mobilizing the English Language and Sending It Into Battle with Allen Packwood
Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 4 PM (ET)
Hosted by the ESU Happy Hour Committee
Allen Packwood will draw on the voluminous Churchill archives to show how Churchill used words to fight and refight the Second World War.
About Allen Packwood
Allen Packwood BA, MPhil (Cantab), is a Fellow of Churchill College at the University of Cambridge, the Director of the Churchill Archives Centre, and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He was awarded an OBE for services to archives and scholarship in the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honors. His book, How Churchill Waged War, was published by Pen & Sword in 2018 and he has recently edited the Cambridge Companion to Winston Churchill. The Churchill Archives Centre is located on the grounds of Churchill College and is home to the papers of Sir Winston Churchill, Baroness Thatcher, Sir John Major, and almost seven hundred of their contemporaries: politicians, diplomats, civil servants, military leaders, and scientists of the modern era. It is still collecting. Allen likes to joke that it is the equivalent of four American presidential libraries! He is responsible for the overall management of the team and collections.
Signature Drink
Cocktail – Churchill disliked cocktails and generally did not mix his drinks. However, there are internet rumors that his Brooklyn-born mother, Jennie Jerome, may have invented the Manhattan, so people can bring their own variants of this trusted favorite.
About the ESU Happy Hour Series
ESU Happy Hour Programs are free online presentations on a variety of topics that connect our members and guests. Interested in attending an upcoming Happy Hour program? You can view the full schedule with upcoming speaker(s) at the link below. Miss a program and want to watch it on demand? Click the button below for recordings of previous sessions.
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ESU Happy Hour: The London of Sherlock Holmes by Dr. Annamaria Dall'Anese
National News
The London of Sherlock Holmes by Dr. Annamaria Dall'Anese
Wednesday, March 15, 2023 at 4 PM (ET)
Hosted by the ESU Central Pennsylvania Branch
Sherlock Holmes knows everything about you: he sees your shoes and knows where you come from; he shakes your hand and he knows what job you do; he looks at the wrinkle in your brow and he knows what you are thinking. But how much do you know about Sherlock Holmes? During this virtual tour of Sherlock Holmes' London, you'll answer quiz questions to collect clues to identify a mysterious London location. And, on the way, you will learn a lot about Sherlock and his creator.
About Dr. Annamaria Dall'Anese
Annamaria Dall'Anese has lived in over a dozen countries over four continents, and her job is to show you why she thinks that London is the best city in the world! As a Blue-badge tourist guide qualified in French, Spanish, and Italian, as well as English, she can show you both the most iconic attractions and the hidden gems of the British capital.Having delivered over 1000 tours for people from all walks of life, Annamaria has the skills to look after independent travelers, families, corporate clients and groups of students
Having worked in the healthcare sector and having completed a PhD in medical anthropology at UCL, London's oldest university, she also enjoys working with medical doctors and healthcare professionals.
Annamaria has lived and worked in New York City and Los Angeles, as well as Vancouver, Paris, Venice, Madrid, and the Swiss Alps, and she will make you feel as comfortable in London as if you were in your own sweet home.
Signature Drink
Elementary, Watson's cocktail:
- 85% champagne (on ice)
- 10% campari bitter
- 5% gin
Sprinkle a few drops of Angostura on top, add a slice of orange and ice cubes.
About the ESU Happy Hour Series
ESU Happy Hour Programs are free online presentations on a variety of topics that connect our members and guests. Interested in attending an upcoming Happy Hour program? You can view the full schedule with upcoming speaker(s) at the link below. Miss a program and want to watch it on demand? Click the button below for recordings of previous sessions.
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