Richard Ingram

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

Linda McMullen

“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

Alex Hughes

“I constantly pass the statue of General Lafayette during my day-to-day. 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 mission.” Alex Hughes currently serves as Government Records Archivist at the Troup County Historical Society Archives and Legacy Museum. He serves as the President of the LaGrange

Shannon Gavin Johnson

“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

George Henry

“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

Kerri Vice

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

Christiane Price

Chris was born in Berlin, Germany, spent her AFS sponsored Senior High School year in Greenville, South Carolina and upon her return to her home, finished “Abitur” and MA requirements in French, English, and American Literature at the Freie Universitaet Berlin, including a year-long “Propedeutique” at the Sorbonne, Paris. Chris was invited to come back to Greenville to teach German at Furman. There, she met and married Dr. Bill Price who had lived five years in Germany. Establishing life together in Atlanta, teaching and pastoring,

Zeke Weldon

Zeke Weldon is a native of LaGrange, Georgia. Weldon is an Auburn University alum with a degree in English Language Arts Education. He is a local educator who has taught middle school and high school students. He finds it rewarding to watch his students thrive both inside and outside of the classroom. Weldon says he enjoys serving on the board because of his love for connecting and creating meaningful relationships with diverse people and exploring Lafayette’s life and ideals with his background in fine arts.

John Cipolla

As a resident of LaGrange since 1977, John Cipolla has enjoyed the aesthetics of the square of Lagrange with its impressive statue of Lafayette. The ideals and vision of the Marquis have been used to inspire the students of Lafayette Christian School in Lagrange where Mr. Cipolla serves as Superintendent. John is the treasurer of Lafayette Alliance.

Joe Thompson

Raylene Carter

Coming Soon!

Jake Behr

“It was a proud day when LaGrange College loaned the statue of the Marquis de Lafayette to the City Of LaGrange to be placed on a pedestal in the center of the fountain in the square changing the name from Court Square to Lafayette Square. It was a sad day when Dr. Richard Ingram, asked people in downtown Lagrange who the statue was in the fountain, discovering a few people knew Lafayette. The Lafayette alliance was founded to educate our citizens on the importance of

Bethany Miller-Urroz

As a Brit, studying the American Revolution “from the other side” when I came to school in the US was quite eye-opening compared to what I had previously learned. But Lafayette is a perfect example of an immigrant who came and helped to enrich the history of the United States, and I’m honored to be continuing that legacy.” Bethany Miller-Urroz is Vice President at Lyniate, an international healthcare technology integration company. Bethany is from Glasgow, Scotland, and grew up all over the UK, before moving

Carlos Urroz

Zelda Jones

Katherine Fogg

“The installation of the statue of the Marquis de Lafayette in our town square was when my curiosity was first peeked about this patriot. The more I learned about his visit to our area, the more I wanted to know about this man who left his homeland to help further the independence of America. With George Washington as his mentor, he stated ‘I read, I study, I examine, I listen, I reflect, and out of all of this I try to form an idea into

Mandi Nash

“The more I study history, the more the people and events of the past fascinate and inspire me. No one person has done more to inspire my life than the Marquis de Lafayette. The life he led was odd at the time but stood for modern-day ideals and I enjoy the opportunities I have to educate students about the Marquis and through my work with the Lafayette Alliance, educate professionals about him as well so that Lafayette’s story can be spread to all.” Mandi Nash

Murray Schine