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Frederick Lee Lectures Celebrate Poet, Doctor, Historian, and Scouts

Beginning in January, the Madison Historical Society (MHS) will host the Frederick Lee Lectures, the winter lecture series now in its 11th year. Celebrating important Madison women in the 20th century, this year’s themed series will feature local presenters telling the stories of a renowned poet, the town’s first woman doctor, the first town historian, and young women who participated in Madison’s vibrant scouting movement. Lectures will be held on the second Sunday of the month at Hubley Hall in the First Congregational Church on the Madison green.

At the first presentation on Sunday, Jan. 14, MHS board members Doe Boyle and Bob Gundersen will tell the stories of two fascinating Madison women featured in the society’s recent publication, Madison’s Treasures. Both professionally accomplished in their chosen careers, each woman was also committed to preserving the character of Madison, and each in her own way contributed to the growth and charm of the town. Grace Miner Lippincott (1879-1975) was a prolific poet with six published books, more than 1,100 published poems, and 10 anthologies. She celebrated Madison’s citizens, the joys of small-town life, and the natural beauty of the shoreline in her works.

Mila Elisabeth Rindge (1915-2005), born and raised in Madison, was the town’s first female doctor. Her father, Dr. Milo Pember Rindge, was so beloved that a parade and dinner were held in his honor when he retired. Following in her father’s footsteps, Mila Rindge pursued a career in medicine. In one of her diaries owned by the MHS, she writes of her professional struggles to be taken seriously at a time when only five percent of physicians were women. She worked alongside her father for several years in private practice before distinguishing herself as the state epidemiologist and later as medical director.

The stories of Charlotte Evarts (1916-1994), the first town historian, and Mary Scranton Evarts (1872-1968), the town’s first librarian, will be featured in the second lecture on Sunday, Feb. 11. The story of this mother-and-daughter team, told by presenters Warner Lord, Pam Evarts Landon, and Henry Griggs, is also that of the founding of the Memorial Archives. Both women were passionate about preserving the history of the town and worked to document the changes throughout Madison by collecting pictures, letters, and other ephemera that tell the story of who we are. The Charlotte L. Evarts Memorial Archives, founded in 1995, continues the important work of organizing and preserving collections for those interested in historical inquiry.

The final presentation on Sunday, March 11 will feature Madison resident and CEO of the Girl Scouts of Connecticut Mary Barneby as she explores the history of girl scouting in Madison and its impact on the lives of girls and women. For more than 100 years, the Girl Scouts organization has maintained its timeless mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. Thousands of girl scouts and girl scout volunteers—many of them Madison grandmothers, mothers, sisters, and daughters—have contributed to the fabric of life in Madison over the years. At this lecture, Barneby will invite some Madison girl scouts to help her take us down a memory lane that intersects the lifetime journeys of our very own girl scouts with the historical changes that have evolved over the past century.

The Frederick Lee Lectures are open to the public with a suggested donation of $5. Each presentation begins at 4 p.m. and is followed by a brief Q & A session. For more information, visit the MHS website at www.madisonhistory.org. Inquiries can also be directed to the MHS office at 203-245-4567 or via email at contact@madisonhistory.org.