Past Events 2026

June 2, 2026 Dinner, 6:00 pm

National Arts Club

Speaker Chuck Schwam

Executive Director, American Friends of Lafayette

The American Friends of Lafayette is an historical and patriotic society dedicated to the memory of Major General Gilbert Motier, Marquis de Lafayette and to the study of his life and times in America and France.

The Society was founded by Stuart Wells Jackson, a leading Lafayette collector, who enlisted the valuable support of Judge Walter P. Gardner, also a possessor of an important Lafayette collection. With eleven other enthusiastic admirers of General the Marquis de Lafayette, they formed The American Friends of Lafayette on May 20, 1932 at Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania. One of the greatest colleges in America, this distinguished institution is the depository of The American Friends of Lafayette historical documents and memorabilia. It consists of more than 2,000 catalogued items-books, pamphlets, articles, manuscripts, engravings, prints, and scores of other memorabilia.

Chuck Schwam notes that England would have won the war had it not been for the French. Without the Marquis ginning up interest in the American Revolution on his home turf, the French would never have offered their help. Lafayette was so enamored with the colonist’s struggle for independence that he was determined to offer the colonies a hand. But the American Continental Congress was out of money, so he personally bankrolled his transatlantic voyage, paying £112,000 in 1777—over £2 million today for his own vessel, La Victoire.

He served as a major general, commanded troops at the Battle of Brandywine in 1777, and crossed the ocean several times before sailing back to lead troops against British General Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, ending the war and securing American independence.

Auction

Thanks to this generous gift from member Caroline Lareuse, we will be offering a print of the Surrender of Lord Cornwallis by John Trumbull. The proceeds will be used for our scholarship endeavors. If unable to attend the dinner, you may also make a bid online by emailing your proposed offer to parisamericanclub@gmail.com before June 2nd.

Photo of 11 x 15″ print.

May 19, 2026, 6:00 pm

New Member Reception

For members who joined in 2025 or 2026

Château Village

1 Minetta STREET, 2E, New York, NY 10012

Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 1:00 pm

Luncheon

La Bonne Soupe

48 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019

Members and friends enjoyed a casual lunch upstairs and decided it would be good to have more lunches on the calendar next year.

Wednesday, May 6, 2026, 4:00 pm

Matisse Exhibit

Acquavella Galleries

18 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10075

Visit the 50+ Matisse exhibit.

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April in Paris Cocktail Dînatoire

The River Club

Featuring author Elaine Sciolino

Elaine Sciolino. Pic: Gabriela Sciolino Plump

Elaine Sciolino, a contributing writer for The New York Times in Paris, is the author of “Adventures in the Louvre: How to Fall in Love with the World’s Greatest Museum,” published in April 2025. She returns to the club after her fascinating and entertaining talk in December 2019 on her book “THE SEINE: The River That Made Paris.”

The Louvre is the most famous museum in the world, attracting millions of visitors every year with its masterpieces. In Adventures in the Louvre, Elaine Sciolino immerses herself in this magical space and helps us fall in love with what was once a forbidding fortress.

Exploring galleries, basements, rooftops, and gardens, Sciolino demystifies the Louvre, introducing us to her favorite artworks, both legendary and overlooked, and to the people who are the museum’s lifeblood: the curators, the artisans producing frames and engravings, the builders overseeing restorations, the firefighters protecting the aging structure.

We are delighted to welcome her back again for her engaging presentation.

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