Program and Luncheon

The Fortnightly

October 9, 2018

Professor Melinda Ponder presented her fascinating stories about the life of Katharine Lee Bates to the Dames on October 9, 2018.  Ms. Bates, an English professor at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, an accomplished poet and mentor to many noted American poets such a Robert Frost, authored “America the Beautiful” for which some of her inspiration came for Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair.  Ms. Ponder weaved in Ms. Bates’ many Chicago connections and friends including Mrs. Lathrop into her presentation.  Ms. Ponder showed us the 1893 World’s Fair from Katharine’s perspective  which many of us agreed was one of the most interesting talks on the World’s Fair that we have heard.