Key West Truman House to Host First Ladies Seminar

The Harry S. Truman Foundation will stage a special two-evening celebration examining the influence of America’s First Ladies on Jan. 23 and 24, 2026, on the grounds of the Harry S. Truman Little White House, 111 Front St., Key West. Presented in partnership with America250, the semiquincentennial commemoration organization, the program pairs scholarly panels with personal testimony to explore how First Ladies have shaped the White House, public policy and civic life.

On Friday, Jan. 23, the weekend opens with a book signing followed by a moderated panel at 5:00 p.m. featuring Diana B. Carlin, Anita B. McBride and Nancy Kegan Smith, the three co-authors of Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women. Attendees will hear scholarship on First Ladies across U.S. history and how those roles have evolved alongside changing public expectations and political institutions.

Saturday’s program continues with an intimate conversation titled Remembering the Boss: Bess Truman. Gates will open at 4:30 p.m. and the program will begin at 5:00 p.m. Clifton Truman Daniel, grandson of First Lady Bess and President Harry S. Truman, will join Anita B. McBride, a founding member of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education and former Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush. Their pairing promises both family perspective and institutional insight into the White House and the informal power First Ladies exercise.

Tickets are priced at $40 per evening for Foundation members and $60 for non-members. A cash bar will be available on site. Tickets and event details are available on the Truman Foundation’s event page.

For Monroe County residents the program is more than cultural programming; it is an accessible forum for civic education. Events like this illuminate the often-unwritten workings of the executive residence and the ways First Ladies have influenced policy priorities, staff structures and public outreach. The partnership with America250 also anchors the sessions in a broader national effort to reflect on American governance as the nation marks 250 years.

The Little White House has long been a locus for public history in Key West, and this two-night series is likely to draw both local attendees and cultural visitors, with modest economic benefits for nearby businesses. For residents interested in civic engagement and institutional history, the events offer a chance to hear scholarship and firsthand accounts that connect national governance to the local community.