In 1831, Sister Gertrude Wightt, the director of Georgetown Academy (today Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School – the all- girls Catholic institution) donned the hat and cape of one of her students and abruptly left the academy. She soon became a fixture on the Washington social scene and an intimate of Dolley Madison. “The Two Worlds of Ann Gertrude Wightt” is the first comprehensive biography of the enigmatic Wightt.

Join Dr. Joseph Mannard, associate professor in the Department of History at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, for a look at Wightt’s transformation from respected academy director (and nun) to celebrated parlor politician.

Joseph Mannard received his MA in U.S. History from the University of South Florida, Tampa, and his PhD in U.S. History from the University of Maryland, College Park. Since 1989, he has been a member of the History Department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. There, he regularly teaches courses on thought and culture in Early America, the Early American Republic, American women and fear of conspiracy in U.S. history. His published research has focused largely on American Catholics, especially women religious figures prior to the U.S. Civil War.  Dr. Mannard has received the award for best scholarly article in American Catholic history from the Catholic Press Association.  The Two Worlds of Ann Gertrude Wightt (2025) is his first book.

Members: FREE | Non-Members: FREE