With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Montpelier Board Pushes Back Against Accusation they Excluded Descendants' Committee Leadership

The following statement was issued by the Montpelier Board of Directors on April 27: 
 

How did the Montpelier Board of Directors go from a shining light to a villain in eight months? 


The answer is that during that short interval, it became clear that the Montpelier Descendants Committee (MDC) leadership could not be relied upon to work as a partner and keep its commitments. 


Now, here we are, less than one week away from May 1, the date by which we need the names of individuals from the MDC for consideration at the next Board meeting for membership on the Montpelier Foundation Board, and the Board’s Governance and Nomination Committee is still waiting to receive any names. 


The Montpelier Foundation has yet to hear any formal response from the MDC, only newspaper reports and negotiating positions put forward by their surrogates, to our offer to complete the process of descendant parity. 


Since the agreement last June, the MDC has broken promises and not kept commitments, in spite of parity being within reach. 


The question remains: 


Is the MDC a political organization with a political agenda or an organization committed to representing descendants at Montpelier? 


The Montpelier Foundation hopes that we will be provided a list of nominees and not a list of excuses and further demands. 

Read the full release by clicking through on the button below

Read entire article at James Madison's Montpelier