The Lafayette Alliance is an organization founded in 2017 and based in LaGrange, Georgia that seeks to inspire, illuminate, and unite, all in the Spirit of Lafayette. Each year the Lafayette Alliance hosts a wreath-laying ceremony on the LaGrange square to commemorate the life and legacy of Lafayette.
Lafayette’s story is America’s story. It never loses voltage, never becomes cliché. Read Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29, or even Sonnet 94, out loud; its rhythm and rhyme drives you to corner complete strangers and force your findings on them. So it is once you know fine points of Lafayette’s life. Your talent, however meager, wants to take a crack at a blank page, to score lyrics, to script drama. It’s not just about chronology, though I obsess over dates; it’s about people and ideas. Telling Lafayette’s
“I participate with the Lafayette Alliance because a conversation with Dr. Ingram piqued my curiosity and I found there was much about Lafayette – regarding his values and actions; his position on slavery and other issues – that I did not know. I am interested in helping the Alliance to teach and share some of those stories of his life and influence.” Linda McMullen moved to LaGrange with her family in 1999 to become the Director of the LaGrange College Evening College. A full-time
“I constantly pass the statue of General Lafayette during my day-to-day. In my educational and professional career, I have become cautious of the over glorification of the founding fathers. After all, they were human just like us! But the more I learn about Lafayette, with the inspiration of Dr. Ingram, the more I realize that Lafayette is someone we can point to as a man who was ahead of his time. This is why I give my time and talents to the Alliance and its
“My awareness of Lafayette, his amazing history and his unparalleled importance to America and the world goes back over fifty years. My father, Waights G. Henry, Jr., who served as President of LaGrange College 1948-1978, became interested in learning about the mid-18th to mid-19th century hero and honorary American citizen, the French Marquis de Lafayette, whose beloved home southeast of Paris was the Chateau de LaGrange. Being aware that the founders of our city had named it in honor of Lafayette, my father read much
“As a young girl, I read Elswyth Thane’s novel Dawn’s Early Light and the following summer, my parents took me to Colonial Williamsburg for summer vacation. Ever since, I have been enamored by the Revolutionary Era. When I began to study history in college, that love developed into a deep respect for the men and women who, albeit flawed individuals, sacrificed greatly to make a country out of a colony. Lafayette Alliance allows me an opportunity to educate our community, and hopefully beyond one day, of
Kerri Vice is the Executive Director of the Lafayette Society for the Performing Arts. Originally from Athens, Alabama, Kerri moved to LaGrange in 1994. She earned her Bachelor’s of Mechanical Engineering degree from Auburn University. Kerri worked for Milliken & Co. for thirteen years in Greenville, South Carolina, and then here in LaGrange. There she worked as a Manager and Process Engineer before working in Human Resources and Marketing with the organization. Following her love of entertaining, she started a business, Table Toppers Catering
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My degree is in Science and I have always shared Lafayette’s views of the importance of human dignity and human rights. As an occupational therapist, I encourage people to be as independent in their lives as physically and emotionally possible. Society plays an important role in allowing and facilitating people to be independent, but it can also be a barrier to reaching this independence. I celebrate differences in people and cultures. Despite what I know about slavery, I can not imagine my heart and mind allowing the enslavement of another human being. After listening to one of the Alliance’s presentations, I was moved to seek further involvement with this group. Additionally, I have the utmost respect for Dr. Ingram and thoroughly enjoy his style of communication.
As a new resident of LaGrange, I “discovered” the story of the Marquis de Lafayette. I hold a degree in American History and have done postgraduate work specializing in the American Civil War. I began reading The Marquis by Laura Auricchio after seeing her on Public Television. I want to know more regarding Lafayette after discovering the LaGrange Lafayette Alliance.
Just a few blocks from here we have Sweetland Amphitheatre, and we have rock stars that come from all over the world that come and entertain us. But right here on our square we have what many historians have called the rock star of the American Revolution.
“It really says something about the people of LaGrange and Troup County that we would continue to honor his legacy, that we would continue to honor the struggle for liberty.”
“When people come to our town, as has recently happened through the election campaigns we’ve had, we’ve had visitors from all political parties coming through LaGrange…They always want to come to Lafayette Square, because this is what’s associated with our town.”
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.
Thank you to the following for their generous support
Cockade Society Members – $5000 plus
Richard and Janice Ingram
Adrienne Society Members – $1000
Cur Non! Society Members – $500
Ann and Ted Beason
George Henry
Judith and Taylor Merrill
The Georgia Society, Sons of the American Revolution
Cadmus Society Members – $300
Robert M. and Cathy S. Stout ($400)
Redoubt #10 Society Members – $200
Ellen Hudson Harris
Mickey and Carolyn McCoy
Jerry and Nita Overall
Colonel George Edward Thurmond
La Victoire Society Members – $100
Marc Acree
Jake Behr
John A. Beyers
Laura Buchanan
Dorthy and Bobby Cammon
Bobby and Molly Carmichael
Gary and Raylene Carter
John Cipola
Thomas and Susan Colgrove
David Evert
Coleman and Amy Foss
John M. Jackson, Jr
Jerry Johnson
Eve and John McKibbin
Shawn and Kathy Mathews
Dodie Patterson
Richard S. Simmons
Nancy K. Stevens
Robert Tucker
Jason and Stacy Weldon
Calvin and Pat Wingo
Abbott and Associates, LLC
Selma and Tom Gore
L’Hermione Society Members – $50
Joanna Baxter
Ken and Lisa Boatwright
Carol and Ellis Cadenhead
Bob and Judy Ellis
Patricia Gilbert
Oliver and Annie Greene
Meredith Ingram
Alex Hughes and Katie Still
Forrest and Shannon Gavin Johnson
Alfred and Beverly McNair
Freeman and Carlene Mills
Commander Glenn Quiggle USN (Ret)
Shirra and Hoyt Rogers
Laura Shedd
Denise and Ernie Sutton
Lafayette Supporter – $25
Ethyl L. Ault
Wayne and Beverly Bartley
Mrs. J.W. Carr
Denise and Ken Fine
Jane Fryer
Tommy and Marcine Gresham
Charlotte Houze
Mr. and Mrs. Julian M. Jones IV
Chris and Emily Joseph
Sue S. Larkin
Lois Sledge
Anne H. Stich
Mrs. Gail C. Walsh
Andy and Clairnelle Wilkerson
Mary Ann Wilson
Rick and Jolly Zeunges
