Thanks to Russell Hooper’s effort our annual meeting in Franklin, Tennessee, was a great success with over 70 attendees, many who arrived early to visit the Tennessee State Capital Building in Nashville.  The tour included visits to the Senate and House of Representatives chambers, the Supreme Court Chambers and the Governor’s Reception Room, as well as the State Library. Hall ways and rooms were lit by enormous ornate chandeliers hanging from the ceilings.  We viewed busts and portraits of historic Americans such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and three other past United States Presidents, well known literary figures, and early American heroes such as Davy Crockett and Daniel Morgan. There was even a bronze bust of Cherokee Chief Sequoyah who created a written alphabet for native Americans. Numerous ceiling portraits done in 1859 include one of Matthew Fontaine Maury, the Pathfinder of the Seas. We also visited the adjacent Tennessee State Museum where we viewed a bust in storage of Matthew Fontaine Maury.

On Saturday we visited the farm where Commander Matthew Fontaine Maury (1806-1873) grew up and a small cemetery where several of his siblings are buried, followed by a visit to the Abram Maury Family Cemetery in a more urban area.  Franklin’s founding father, Abram Maury (1766-1825), is buried there, as well as many other Maurys.  Matthew Fontaine Maury is buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia. We had lunch at the historic Franklin Masonic Hall where we had presentations by Tina Jones and Rick Warwick about recent Maury research and efforts to document the families of freed slaves. Masonic brothers gave us private tours and explained several masonic traditions. Several of Abram Maury’s sons were prominent Masons.

Saturday evening we had dinner and a program at St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Keynote Address on the life of Commander Matthew Fontaine Maury was given by Howard Cohen, Deputy Chief of the Maritime Safety Office of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.