Landmark Lecture: From Runaway Nun to Parlor Politician

Tue Mar 10 2026 at 06:30 pm to 08:00 pm UTC-04:00

Tudor Place | Washington

Tudor Place
Publisher/HostTudor Place
Landmark Lecture: From Runaway Nun  to Parlor Politician
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In 1831 Sister Gertrude Wightt, the directress of Georgetown Academy donned the hat and cape of one of her students and abruptly left.
About this Event

In 1831 Sister Gertrude Wightt, the directress of Georgetown Academy (now Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School), donned the hat and cape of one of her students and abruptly left the academy and life as a nun. She soon became a fixture on the Washington social scene and an intimate of Dolley Madison.
The Two Worlds of Ann Gertrude Wightt is the first comprehensive biography of the enigmatic Wightt. Drawing from a rich cache of previously overlooked primary sources, the book meticulously explores Wightt's transformation from respected academy directress to celebrated "parlor politician" in the nation's capital.

About the author: Joseph Mannard is an associate professor in the Department of History at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the American Catholic Historical Association and the American Catholic Historical Society.

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Tudor Place, 1644 31st Street Northwest, Washington, United States

Tickets

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