On Wednesday, January 30, the United States Capitol Historical Society held an event to honor its volunteers and partners. Following a reception of drinks and heavy hors d’oeuvres, USCHS Board of Trustees member Brigadier General Tim White (ret.), PhD, welcomed the more than 70 guests and thanked them for the vital role they play in the organization. Gen. White also officially introduced the Hon. Jane L. Campbell as the Society’s new president and CEO; Gen. White had previously been a news anchor in Cleveland while Ms. Campbell served as Mayor of the city. Ms. Campbell emphasized the importance of volunteers and partners to the Society’s success, and expressed her excitement at leading the organization at this time. For more information about Ms. Campbell’s appointment, please consult this news release.

The evening’s featured speaker was the Hon. Stephen T. Ayers, the recently-retired 11th Architect of the Capitol, who presented on perhaps the keynote achievement of his tenure: the full restoration of the Capitol Dome. In his talk entitled “The Capitol Dome: A 30,000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle,” Mr. Ayers shared amusing anecdotes and fascinating facts about the project. From the unique challenges of repairing more than 150-year-old cast iron elements to humorous encounters with adventurous animals, he kept the audience spellbound for more than half an hour. A full video recording of the program will be published on our YouTube page soon.

The USCHS would like to thank Altria for hosting the event.