The English-Speaking Union

News and Events

News and Events

Register to watch 40th National Shakespeare Competition Finals

English-Speaking Union
40th National Shakespeare Competition
Finals

Broadcast live from Lincoln Center!

Monday, April 24, 2023

Competition Finals will start at approximately 4:00 PM

Register here

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King Charles III's Coronation Celebration

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Chairman's March Newsletter

A Message from Chairman Dr. Quinn Peeper

Dear Friends,

I would like to tell you about one of the English-Speaking Union's most cherished programs – the ESU Luard – and since 2012 – Luard Morse Scholarship. The $25,000 grant offers students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) the unique opportunity to study at a British University of their choice during their junior year. The Scholarship has provided a transformative experience to eighty-eight extraordinary individuals who have become trailblazers in business, government, academia and the arts. To ensure that the program continues and grows, we are launching a fundraising challenge to augment the dedicated endowment fund and provide support for more scholarships.

For those of you who are not familiar with the program, nearly fifty-five years ago in 1969, in a groundbreaking decision, the ESU Board of Directors launched a merit scholarship for HBCU students to study in the United Kingdom. The scholarship was endowed by a bequest in honor of Ms. Lucy Dalbiac Luard, a British national and an ESU member who wished for her legacy to contribute to the "furtherance of friendly relations with England." 

We are very proud of this program because it was one of the most forward-looking scholarships at the time, offering Black students an extraordinary educational opportunity.

The first Scholar, Mr. Phillip H. Cole Jr. (1969-70 Wilberforce University/University of Reading) said, "The Luard Scholarship said to me: 'I can do anything I want to, anywhere in the world.'" Mr. Cole was a celebrated dancer, choreographer, master teacher, mentor and humanitarian, who passed away in 2016 at the age of 71.

In 2012 by a resolution of the ESU Board of Directors, the Luard Scholarship was renamed to the ESU Luard Morse Scholarship to recognize the leadership and contributions of one of the program's most prominent alumni, Dr. Laurence C. Morse. Dr. Morse, a student at Howard University at the time, spent his junior year as the 1971-72 ESU Luard scholar at London School of Economics. After earning a Ph.D. from Princeton University, Dr. Morse went on to have a distinguished career in the venture capital and private equity field, support a number of charitable causes and author a book about his college experience. Dr. Morse has been closely involved in the ESU, first as member of the National Board of Directors from 2003 to 2009, and throughout the years as a leader and generous benefactor of the program. During the ESU Centennial Gala, for his many contributions to the organization and the Luard Morse Scholarship, Dr. Morse was awarded the ESU Founder's Award and the inaugural Princess Royal Award, the highest recognitions given by the English-Speaking Union.

Dr. Laurence Morse is one of the eighty-eight exceptional individuals who since 1969 have been awarded scholarships to study at universities in the U.K. including Oxford, Cambridge, and the London School of Economics. And just like Dr. Morse, the other scholars who have benefited from the program are now business leaders, public figures, and prominent academics. All of them, to one degree or another, credit their study abroad as a major factor in their personal and professional growth. The program has truly changed their lives.

As Dr. Morse once described the Scholarship, "The English-Speaking Union of the United States received a gift in honor of Lucy Dalbiac Luard with the stipulation that it be used for a scholarship in her name that would enable Americans to study in England. The year was 1969," Dr. Morse recalled. "It was against a backdrop of public discord and civil unrest that the Board of the English-Speaking Union, in a most expansive and inclusive interpretation of its mission to create global understanding through English, by the stroke of its pen brought onto the playing field in a most magnificent way the segment of the American undergraduate student population for whom opportunities to study abroad were exceedingly rare, if not non-existent."

Younger generations of scholars confirm the program's significance. Mr. Shang Andrews, from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, NC, spoke about his gratitude to be the 2022-2023 Luard Morse Scholar and shared his excitement to be studying at Queen Mary University in London in this short video. 

The Luard Morse Scholarship is awarded to the very best.

The selection process is rigorous and highly competitive. The Scholarship invites applicants who excel academically and demonstrate outstanding leadership skills, community involvement, and interest in international affairs, culture and issues of global significance. A Scholarship Selection Committee comprised of Luard Morse alumni gets to know each student through their writing, academic records, and recommendations and evaluates them taking into consideration six important qualities: academic excellence; intellectual curiosity; alignment of aspirations with the ESU Luard Morse Scholarship's purpose; resilience, integrity and adaptability; leadership and community engagement; and ambassadorship, the ability to serve as a communicator abroad and at home.

As part of their application, students are asked to share their goals for their study abroad; give examples of significant personal experiences that have shaped these goals; reflect on the impact their work activity or community service has had on others; and, following Socrates' saying that "to learn to think is to learn to question," discuss a matter that they thought they understood but have learned to question. 

The top four candidates travel to New York City for the final round of in-person presentations and interviews with the Selection Committee. The finalist is awarded a $25,000 scholarship for a semester of study at any university in the United Kingdom. And since the Scholarship is for junior year, it allows returning seniors the opportunity to inspire their peers and underclassmen with the rewards that can come through study and effort.   

In January, the Luard Morse Scholarship Committee convened in person for the first time since the pandemic to select the 2023-2024 Scholar. The finalist cohort included four exceptional students from across the United States: Michayla George, a Business Major at Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee; Lorenzo Lugo, a Business Major at Morehouse College; Lanise Myers, a Kinesiology Major at North Carolina A & T; and Ellison Richardson, a Political Science Major at Howard University. 

After a day of interviews and deliberations, the Selection Committee awarded the 2023-2024 Luard Morse Scholarship to Ms. Michayla George.

 "This year's Luard Morse Scholar Michayla George … represents the best and brightest of American undergraduate students. The ESU is honored to support her educational endeavors studying in the United Kingdom. The entire Luard Morse community of Scholars joins me in welcoming Michayla into our ranks and wishing her a safe and extraordinary study-abroad experience," stated Darrell W. Hill, chair of the ESU Luard Morse Scholarship Committee.

The Luard Morse Scholarship is an indelible part of the ESU's programmatic fabric. The Scholarship's impact on young lives is undeniable – and immense. To ensure the program's future, in close collaboration with the Luard Morse alumni, the ESU Board of Directors is launching a campaign to raise funds for one additional scholarship this year. Donations to the endowment fund are also welcome because they strengthen the program in the long term. This campaign will ensure that the program continues to offer exceptional students the unique opportunity to explore their potential and gain the knowledge, skills and mind-set to be successful in the modern global economy.

During her address at the ESU Gala on October 3, 2022, at the Cosmopolitan Club in New York City, our guest of honor, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal praised the ESU's programs for "making a person's life work better." The ESU Luard Morse Scholarship does make a bright young person's life work better. And it does it splendidly. 

That's why we appeal not only to the Luard Morse Scholarship community of alumni and supporters, but to all ESU members and friends who appreciate the impact of this program on young lives. We hope that many of you will support the ESU Luard Morse Scholarship.

Please visit the campaign page on our website to make a gift. There you'll see that there are many donation levels to fit a wide range of budgets. No gift is too small to make a difference. The Luard Morse Scholarship is one of the ESU's most influential endeavors with an extraordinary impact on its beneficiaries. Let's make sure that it endures.

With best regards,

Dr. E. Quinn Peeper
Chairman
The English-Speaking Union

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ESU Happy Hour: Churchill: Mobilizing the English Language and Sending It Into Battle with Allen Packwood

Churchill: Mobilizing the English Language and Sending It Into Battle with Allen Packwood

Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 4 PM (ET)

Hosted by the ESU Happy Hour Committee

Allen Packwood will draw on the voluminous Churchill archives to show how Churchill used words to fight and refight the Second World War.

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About Allen Packwood

Allen Packwood BA, MPhil (Cantab), is a Fellow of Churchill College at the University of Cambridge, the Director of the Churchill Archives Centre, and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He was awarded an OBE for services to archives and scholarship in the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honors. His book, How Churchill Waged War, was published by Pen & Sword in 2018 and he has recently edited the Cambridge Companion to Winston Churchill. The Churchill Archives Centre is located on the grounds of Churchill College and is home to the papers of Sir Winston Churchill, Baroness Thatcher, Sir John Major, and almost seven hundred of their contemporaries: politicians, diplomats, civil servants, military leaders, and scientists of the modern era. It is still collecting. Allen likes to joke that it is the equivalent of four American presidential libraries! He is responsible for the overall management of the team and collections.


Signature Drink

Cocktail – Churchill disliked cocktails and generally did not mix his drinks. However, there are internet rumors that his Brooklyn-born mother, Jennie Jerome, may have invented the Manhattan, so people can bring their own variants of this trusted favorite.

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About the ESU Happy Hour Series

ESU Happy Hour Programs are free online presentations on a variety of topics that connect our members and guests. Interested in attending an upcoming Happy Hour program? You can view the full schedule with upcoming speaker(s) at the link below. Miss a program and want to watch it on demand? Click the button below for recordings of previous sessions.

Full Schedule Previously Recorded Programs 

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ESU Happy Hour: The London of Sherlock Holmes by Dr. Annamaria Dall'Anese

The London of Sherlock Holmes by Dr. Annamaria Dall'Anese

Wednesday, March 15, 2023 at 4 PM (ET)

Hosted by the ESU Central Pennsylvania Branch

Sherlock Holmes knows everything about you: he sees your shoes and knows where you come from; he shakes your hand and he knows what job you do; he looks at the wrinkle in your brow and he knows what you are thinking. But how much do you know about Sherlock Holmes? During this virtual tour of Sherlock Holmes' London, you'll answer quiz questions to collect clues to identify a mysterious London location. And, on the way, you will learn a lot about Sherlock and his creator.

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About Dr. Annamaria Dall'Anese

Annamaria Dall'Anese has lived in over a dozen countries over four continents, and her job is to show you why she thinks that London is the best city in the world! As a Blue-badge tourist guide qualified in French, Spanish, and Italian, as well as English, she can show you both the most iconic attractions and the hidden gems of the British capital.Having delivered over 1000 tours for people from all walks of life, Annamaria has the skills to look after independent travelers, families, corporate clients and groups of students

Having worked in the healthcare sector and having completed a PhD in medical anthropology at UCL, London's oldest university, she also enjoys working with medical doctors and healthcare professionals.

Annamaria has lived and worked in New York City and Los Angeles, as well as Vancouver, Paris, Venice, Madrid, and the Swiss Alps, and she will make you feel as comfortable in London as if you were in your own sweet home.


Signature Drink

Elementary, Watson's cocktail:

  • 85% champagne (on ice)
  • 10% campari bitter
  • 5% gin

Sprinkle a few drops of Angostura on top, add a slice of orange and ice cubes.

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About the ESU Happy Hour Series

ESU Happy Hour Programs are free online presentations on a variety of topics that connect our members and guests. Interested in attending an upcoming Happy Hour program? You can view the full schedule with upcoming speaker(s) at the link below. Miss a program and want to watch it on demand? Click the button below for recordings of previous sessions.

Full Schedule Previously Recorded Programs 

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Chairman's January Newsletter

A Message from Chairman Dr. Quinn Peeper

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the New 2023!

May it bring you health, joy and countless wonderful experiences! And I hope that many of them will be alongside your fellow ESU members.

But first, I am delighted to announce the addition of four new members to our National Board of Directors: esteemed microbiologist and ESU Luard Morse Scholar (1978-79) Dr. Gregory W. Buck; board-certified psychiatrist and Medical Director at the Veterans Administration Medical Center Washington DC Dr. Mary R. Lee; PwC Cloud and Digital Strategy Partner Ms. Michelle C. Seale; and EVP, General Counsel and Head of Business Affairs at Hallmark Media Mr. Jon Sichel, who were elected to the Board at the Annual General Meeting in Charleston S.C. They are starting their service with the first Directors' meeting on January 26.

I am excited about them being part of the ESU National Board and I thank them for agreeing to serve to further the ESU's mission. They join a long legacy of excellence in the ESU's leadership and each brings unique skills, experience and perspectives to help our organization thrive. Join me in wishing them a successful and rewarding service!

In 2023 we will celebrate a big milestone – the ESU National Shakespeare Competition's 40th birthday. In this letter I would like to tell you about how we plan to mark this major occasion and invite you to join us in the festivities.

This year, for the first time since the pandemic, the ESU National Shakespeare Competition returns to New York with in-person national finals on Monday, April 24, 2023, at Lincoln Center. It will bring all semi-finalists together for an exciting weekend from Saturday, April 22, to Tuesday, April 25, encompassing the Bard's birthday.

Parents, teachers, Branch coordinators and leadership, as well as regular members, are invited to join the students in many of the activities and programs during this Competition weekend such as meals, a Broadway show, New York City tour, etc. We are offering a special Parents Package that includes complimentary access to selected group activities and some Parent/Chaperone-only events.

A cocktail reception on April 24, 2023, after the Competition, will gather program alumni and friends – participants, their families and teachers, current and former judges, etc. as well as, hopefully, a few celebrities from the theater world.

You are all invited to join. Please mark your calendars – a formal invitation with all the details will follow soon.

Besides making the 2023 ESU National Shakespeare Competition finals extra special, we are offering another unique opportunity to celebrate the ESU's National Shakespeare Competition's 40th birthday - a transatlantic crossing aboard RMS Queen Mary 2 and a one-of-a-kind tour in and around London, July 7-17, 2023.

Under the theme of The Bard's Queens on Board, the voyage will offer the perfect mix of intellectual stimulation, elegant travel and sheer fun in the company of old and new friends.

A group of twenty travelers will set sail from New York on July 7 aboard RMS Queen Mary 2 for a week at sea. During the crossing, Shakespeare expert and author Dr. Catherine Loomis, who will travel with us, will amuse and challenge us with engaging daytime lectures and evening conversations about all things Shakespeare seen through the prism of the women in his life and art.

On shore, we will delight in behind-the-scenes access to unique places and people made possible by the ESU's network of connections built over a century. The Bard's Queen's theme will continue with visits to Hever Castle, ancestral home to Anne Boleyn; Knole at Sevenoaks, home to young Mary Tudor, later Mary I; and Hatfield House, Queen Elizabeth I's favorite residence. At Knole and Hatfield House, we will be greeted by the owners who will share family stories that go back centuries and show us private rooms not generally open to the public.

On the program are also a performance at Shakespeare's Globe and visits to the National Portrait Gallery and the British Library where we will see the First Folio. Did you know that 2023 marks the First Folio's 400 birthday?

For the grand finale, we will celebrate the ESU National Shakespeare Competition's anniversary at Dartmouth House, home of our sister organization, the English-Speaking Union of the Commonwealth. We will tour this historic house, raise a toast in the Courtyard, and enjoy a sumptuous dinner in the Drawing Room, entertained by youth from the summer's Shakespeare competition, a newly launched program by Dartmouth House, inspired by our own Competition.

This voyage will be the first of our re-imagined exclusive tours to destinations and experiences connected to the ESU's history, programs and cultural traditions. In years past, the ESU had such a program. Some of my fondest memories – and strongest friendships – were forged during these ESU adventures. When I became Chairman, I vowed to bring these bespoke tours back, as a way to engage and thrill our most loyal supporters, celebrate our achievements and raise funds for the ESU's programs and activities.

The Bard's Queens on Board voyage will do all these things, magnificently. This will be a one-of-a-kind, "bucket-list" adventure. It is special because it will mark the ESU National Shakespeare Competition's 40th anniversary – on the heels of the ESU's Centennial. You can find details about the itinerary and how to sign up on the tour's website page.

Dear friends, we want 2023 to be a year that celebrates our resilience in the face of adversity and the return to normalcy when we again get together with friends and raise a toast to life and happiness. The ESU National Shakespeare Competition's 40th anniversary is a perfect occasion to do that. Come to the finals in New York City on April 24, and if it is on your wish list, join us for the Bard's Queens on Board tour. It will be an experience of a lifetime.

With best regards,

Dr. E. Quinn Peeper
Chairman
The English-Speaking Union

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Michayla George wins $25,000 in Scholarship to Study in England as the 2023-2024 ESU Luard Morse Scholar

New York City: Ms. Michayla George, a Business Major at Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee, has been selected as the recipient of an English-Speaking Union Luard Morse Scholarship. Karen Karpowich, Executive Director of the English-Speaking Union, announced the winner, noting that she will receive $25,000 toward a semester of study at any university of her choosing in the United Kingdom during the 2023-2024 academic year.

The English-Speaking Union Luard Morse Scholarship Committee is truly excited to announce Michayla George as the next Scholar. Michayla, a sophomore at Tennessee State University, represents the highest caliber of student-scholars our nation has to offer. The ESU is honored to support her educational efforts as she expands her horizons with this study-abroad opportunity. The Scholarship Committee and the ESU Luard Morse Alumni community joins me in wishing Michayla, and all the finalists and applicants, the very best." stated Darrell W. Hill, chair of the ESU Luard Morse Scholarship Committee.

Michayla intends to continue her study of Business Administration in the United Kingdom. Given her strong academic and leadership track record, we are confident that Michayla will excel during her semester abroad.

Ellison Richardson  Lanise Myers   Lorenzo Lugo

The ESU Luard Morse Scholarship Finalists included three other exceptional, sophomore students studying at HBCUs from across the United States: Ellison Richardson, a Political Science Major at Howard University, Lanise Myers, a Kinesiology Major at North Carolina A & T and Lorenzo Lugo, a Business Major at Morehouse College.  For the first time since Covid, the ESU was happy to welcome the ESU Luard Morse Scholarship Finalists back to interview at ESU National Headquarters in New York City. 

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Happy Hour: Port Wines with Dr. Phil Williams

Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at 5 PM (EDT)
Port Wines with Dr. Phil Williams

Take a journey with Dr. Phil Williams, President of the ESU Charlottesville Branch, and share a life-long fascination with Port wines, the nectar of the gods, and some of the grand stories which make it taste all the more wonderful. Whether one prefers White, Ruby, Tawny, Late Bottle Vintage, or Vintage Port, the history, politics, and traditions of Port are the stuff of legend.

"Be sometimes to your country true
Have once the public good in view
Bravely despise Champagne at Court
And choose to dine at home with Port." - Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) 

Dr. Henry P. (Phil) Williams III is currently an Adjunct Professor at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C. He also teaches in the International Relations department of Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey. He has received Degrees and Diplomas from Culver Military Academy, the Universities of Virginia, Edinburgh, and Florence, and a PhD in International Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School, Tufts University. He has worked on the Mediterranean for more than ten years of his life, including stints in Turkey doing Doctoral Research, Investment Banking, and university-level teaching. He also worked in Corporate Finance on Wall St. for many years. He has published scholarly articles on Ottoman and Turkish Law as well as his recent book, Turkey and America, East & West – Where the Twain Meet. He has authored many news articles on Turkey and spoken widely on Turkey's domestic and international affairs for many years.

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Chairman's December Newsletter

A Holiday Message from Chairman Dr. Quinn Peeper

Dear friends,

As another year draws to a close, we are all in the midst of preparations for this festive season. It is a special time for all of us to enjoy the company of family and friends, count our blessings and reflect on everything that is right in this world.

2022, without a doubt, has been one of my most memorable years. The ESU's Board of Directors placed their trust in me to lead the organization just as the pandemic restrictions eased. We took full advantage of this opportunity to restart our in-person programs and re- engage our membership.

Thanks to our Branches' and members' generosity, the ESU Teachers Learning Abroad (TLab) program sent forty-five teachers to continue their education at top UK universities.
And fourteen students have just begun living and studying for the 2022/23 academic year in the UK & US.

2,500 students took part in the ESU Middle School Debate Program which teaches them to think critically, speak with confidence and attack the argument rather than the speaker.

350 immigrants from 58 countries and 352 volunteers, fluent English speakers, met for weekly English in Action conversations that give learners the gift of fluency and enrich the lives of our volunteers.

The ESU National Shakespeare Competition held its 39th competition. The newly launched ESU Shakespeare Writing Program held contests that inspired and engaged middle and high school students who express their love of Shakespeare and the English language through creative and analytical writing.

After a delay due to COVID, the 2021-2022 ESU Luard Morse Scholar George Pratt took residency at the University of Manchester to study within the comparative religion and social anthropology departments. The 2022-2023 scholarship recipient Mr. Shang Andrews II from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will study computer science at Queen Mary University of London in 2023.

In-person Branch activities also resumed with lectures and celebrations across the country. I was fortunate to be part of a few of them and received the warmest of welcomes at the ESU's Branches in Louisville KY, Greenwich CT, Boston MA and New York when we celebrated Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's birthday and Platinum Jubilee in June.

And together with the entire world we deeply mourned Her Majesty's passing in early September.

The ESU 2022 Annual General Conference in Charleston, S.C., brought together our most enthusiastic and dedicated members for productive discussions about the ESU's future growth – and many wonderful moments of camaraderie and joy.

But 2022 will undoubtedly be remembered as the year when the ESU welcomed HRH The Princess Royal. Her Royal Highness' visit cast a spotlight on our extraordinary educational programs that have changed the lives of thousands of U.S. students, teachers, English language learners and ESU members. The spectacular Gala at the Cosmopolitan Club in the presence of The Princess Royal drew international media attention and elevated our organization's profile.

As we approach the end of the year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you - our members, volunteers, donors, and friends - for your support and commitment.

To the National Board members, thank you for your dedication to the success of the ESU and for your work on the governance and health of the organization.

I also want to acknowledge the participation of our Branch leaders and volunteers who commit endless hours to make sure that our members and the beneficiaries of our programs have the opportunity to learn, grow and just have fun with the ESU.

Lastly, I want to thank the ESU staff for the effort and creativity they put in day in and day out to offer the most effective, engaging and rewarding programs that all of you enjoy.

Dear friends, December is also the month of giving and I believe it is because the holidays – the holy days – bring out the giver in all of us. The holidays are about tradition, showing appreciation and support for the good work that matters to us and that helps to make a "person's life work better," as The Princess Royal put it in her address at the ESU Gala.

I know the ESU matters to you. I know that you've experienced first-hand its impact – through its educational programs and social activities. Otherwise, why would you be part of it? Why would you be reading this letter?

That's why I invite you to give to our organization this holiday season. Please make a gift – no amount is too small and will make a huge difference. We have a great year ahead and your support matters enormously.

I hope this holiday season is an exceptionally good and safe one and that the New Year brings you much health, happiness and prosperity.

May these days be filled with joy, peace, and hope!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

With best regards,

Dr. E. Quinn Peeper
Chairman
The English-Speaking Union

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear ESU Community,

Thanksgiving is an opportunity to reflect on whom and what we are grateful for. In this spirit, we want to thank each and every one of you for the wonderful things you do for ESU. Our organization is vibrant, relevant and impactful because of you! In the video below, you can listen to a special Thanksgiving greeting from the entire ESU staff.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Warmest regards,
Karen & the ESU staff

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