The Lafayette Alliance is an organization founded in 2017 and based in LaGrange, Georgia that seeks to educate, inform, and inspire the general populace about the Marquis de Lafayette. Each year the Lafayette Alliance hosts a wreath-laying ceremony on the LaGrange square to commemorate the life and legacy of Lafayette.
Richard Ingram finished fellowship in nephrology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. LaGrange, Georgia, has been home since. One day, Richard Ingram found his way to Lafayette square and began asking those who passed by if they knew who the statue atop the fountain was. After receiving many incorrect answers he determined that educating the community on Lafayette is imperative.
After spending 15 years in Phoenix, her husband, an ENT Physician, made a job change in 2018 and is currently working for WellStar. Kathryn spent 12 years working as an Ophthalmic Assistant during her husband’s medical training then worked as his office manager of his private practice. She wanted to get involved in the community and was intrigued by the history of LaGrange and Lafayette.
John Cipolla currently serves as Superintendent of Schools at Lafayette Christian School. John has been with Lafayette Christian School for over fourteen years. Education is a large component of what Lafayette Alliance seeks to do and John Cipolla helps advise the Alliance on just that.
A graduate of the University of Alabama with a Master of Library and Information Science and LaGrange College with a Bachelor of Arts in History, Alex currently works as an archivist and records manager at the Troup County Historical Society Archives. Alex’s love of history and understanding of Troup County history made him want to promote Lafayette and his legacy.
It was an intentional statement by the leadership of this community in 1828 that we wanted to honor this man in some way. As an older gentleman at that point, he had become in his lifetime a symbol of liberty.
In LaGrange, you have the statue of Lafayette here that’s a copy of the statue that is in Le Puy-en-Velay in France. That’s an obvious connection that very few cities have with General Lafayette.