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Pinkster Celebration 6/3, A Midsummer Night's Eve 6/20, "She Called Him Raymond", 6/24.
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Originally a Dutch celebration of the renewal of life after a long winter, the first day of
Pinkster corresponded with the Episcopal Whitsunday, the 50th day after Easter which fell in
early May. By the nineteenth century in America, Pinkster was known as an African American
Holiday. It reached its zenith between 1790 and 1810. From its Dutch roots came the spiritual as-
pects of giving thanks, preparations to greet the spring through building of elaborate arbors and tempo-
rary shelters, the cooking of special foods, serving of beer and wines, playing games, telling stories and
singing songs.
Whites along with free and enslaved Blacks gathered to witness the parade of the court and arrival of King
Charles, an elder elected to preside over the festival. The name of the character was taken from an Angolan
born captive given the name of Charles who was highly regarded, gifted in speech, dance and athletics and
claimed by an early mayor of Albany. A market was held during Pinkster for people with produce, crafts, and
handmade goods to sell. As the Pinkster King walked through the market stalls and vendor tents, he would de-
mand tribute. If anyone failed to pay, their tent or stall was removed and they were asked to leave. There were
exhibitions of skills and athletic contests along with storytelling and dance that were judged and rewarded.
For the Dutch, Pinkster was a religious holiday; a time to reflect, take a break from work and visit family and
friends. For the enslaved Africans it was a temporary respite where they got to revisit the songs and dances they
were forbidden to do elsewhere and pass on cultural expressions. They reunited with family and friends, ex-
changed information as well as goods and turned the tables on those who denied them power over their lives.
The festival lasted three to four days.
In Albany the Pinkster Festival took place on the hill overlooking the Hudson River, where the State Capi-
tol sits today. In 1811, an Albany city ordinance banned Pinkster. - © FIGAH, 2006. All rights reserved.
Two centuries later, in an effort to revive a tradition from Albany’s past, members of the University
Club petitioned the Common Council to repeal the prohibition. The Pinkster ban was lifted on
May 16, 2011.
Since then the University Club has been honoring the traditions of Pinkster at an annual
celebration. This year, Scott Christianson, PhD. will join us on Friday June 3rd to share
some of New York’s history of slavery and abolitionism through the life of a man known
only as “Caesar.”
Christianson is a journalist, criminologist, historian, filmmaker,
human rights activist and teacher and an award-winning author of
several distinguished non-fiction books.
In addition to the presentation on Caesar, he will sign copies of
two of his books, Freeing Charles: The Struggle to Free a Slave on
the Eve of the Civil War (University of Illinois Press; January 22,
2010), and 100 Documents That Changed the World: From the
Magna Carta to Wikileaks (Universe; November 10, 2015).
Continued on page two...
Caesar
2
Pinkster continued from page one
Caesar lived his entire life on a colo-
nial estate in Albany County, and was
the last living slave north of the Ma-
son-Dixon Line. The daguerreotype
on page one, courtesy of the New-
York Historical Society, shows him at
the age of 114.
He was born into slavery in Bethle-
hem, NY in 1737 and died at the age
of 115 in 1852 having served the
Nicoll-Sill family for six generations.
He was the last person in NY to die in
bondage, though slavery ended in
New York on July 4, 1827. He is bur-
ied in the gravesite of the family he
served so long and faithfully.
In 1808, under the law, all slaves un-
der the age of 65 years in New York
State were freed. Those over that age
remained slaves and their masters had
to provide for them. Caesar, being
over the age limit, remained a slave.
His children and grandchildren were
freed but chose to remain as servants
in the Bethlehem House.
Join us for cocktails (cash/sign) and
light fare from 6-7 p.m., followed by
Christianson’s presentation. Tickets-
$40. Reservations required. Call the
University Club Foundation at 518-
414-3555 or make your reservations
at www.universityclubalbany.com.
Proceeds benefit the University Club
Foundation. Support for educational
programming presented by the Foun-
dation is provided by AT&T.
JOIN US AFTERWARD
DINNER AND MUSIC
The Greater Love Combo, known for
their classic, up-tempo jazz, will per-
form from 8-10 p.m. in the Gr ille
room after the Pinkster presentation.
The performance is free. Ala carte
dinner will be available until 9 p.m.
Reservations required. Call the
club at 463-1151 if you’ll join us.
BOOK SIGNING & RECEPTION
A Mid-Summer Night’s “Eve”
Monday, June 20
6 – 8 p.m.
What if Shakespeare had been in-
volved with the Gunpowder Plot in
1605 – while writing MacBeth?
That’s the premise of the new novel
License to Quill, by Albany author
Jacopo della Quercia (Giacomo Ca-
labria ).
“License to Quill is a page-turning
James Bond-esque spy thriller star-
ring William Shakespeare and
Christopher Marlowe during histo-
ry's real life Gunpowder Plot. The
story follows the fascinating golden
age of English espionage, the tumul-
tuous cold war gripping post-
Reformation Europe, the cloak-and-
dagger politics of Shakespeare's
England, and lastly, the mysterious
origins of the Bard's most haunting
play: Macbeth. You won't want to
miss this fast-paced historical retell-
ing!” - MacMillan Publishing
Join us for a Meet the Author Re-
ception with cocktails (cash/sign)
and light hors d’oeuvres at 6 p.m.,
followed Mr. della Quercia’s presen-
tation at 7:00 p.m. Books will be
available for purchase and signing.
The event is co-sponsored by the
University Club Foundation and the
English Speaking Union. There is no
charge, however, reservations are
required. Call the UC Foundation at
518-414-3555 and let us know if
you plan to stay for dinner.
AUTHOR PRESENTATION
DINNER & RECEPTION
A letter penned in 1944 uncovers the
powerful and heartfelt story of Helen
Gregg, one of eight children of Irish
immigrant parents, raised in the mis-
eries of Hell’s Kitchen during the
Great Depression, and Clarence Ray-
mond Stephenson, a young aspiring
B-17 pilot from the small, struggling
city of Ironton, Ohio. Fate brings
them together in New York’s Central
Park during the summer of 1942.
This captivating and poignant story
of their struggles and romance, his
exploits as a highly decorated B-17
pilot during World War II, and the
tragedy that tears them apart, will
inspire you, while tugging at your
heart.
With sensitivity and grace, Ray
O’Conor reveals a secret about the
dashing and brave young aviator who
stole Helen’s heart, and he divulges a
promise that Helen made to Ray-
mond in the summer of 1942 that she
had to keep, no matter how long or
how hard it might be to fulfill.
Join us Friday, June 24th for a spe-
cial evening with Ray O’Conor, the
author of She Called Him Raymond.
Light hors d’oeuvres and cash/sign
bar at 6:00 p.m. Dinner buffet at 6:30
p.m. followed by dessert and book
discussion/signing at 7:15 p.m. $35
per person.
Books will be available; hardcover
$25; softcover $20. Reservations are
required. Please call the University
Club Foundation at 518-414-3555.
3
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□ My/Our check is enclosed, payable to the University Club Foundation
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Please return to: The University Club Foundation, 141 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12210
The Club is still “digging out” from under a mountain of bills from the Big Dig
of 2016. So far we have received invoices totaling
almost $25,000.00. Those costs include clean up
after the Grille Room was flooded by 300 gallons
of water, installation of a sump pit and pump,
plumbing and electrical work and, the biggest ex-
pense, excavation of Dove street outside the club’s
main entrance and installation of a 10 foot long lat-
eral pipe from the city’s line to the clubhouse.
University Club Foundation to the rescue…
Those huge, unexpected, expenses are only part of the picture. Though loving-
ly maintained, the 100+ year old clubhouse is very needy. There’s always
something that has to be taken care of. Fortunately, part of the mission of the
University Club Foundation is to assist in the maintenance and upkeep of the
club’s building and property. The Foundation’s most recent effort on behalf of
the club, was the ‘Big Dig’ campaign, which began late last month. “We are
humbled by the response,” notes Vito Grasso the University Club Foundation’s
President, “and truly grateful to those who responded by contributing. Many
donors are members of the University Club, others are friends of the Founda-
tion. Every donation, big or small, allows us to continue to help the club meet
its obligations to maintain its nationally recognized historic building, ensuring
that its doors are open and welcoming for generations to come. Thank you for
your support.”
We would also like to extend a special thank you to Off The Record. They
put a tip bucket out during their performance at the Club on Friday, May 6th
and collected more than $200...and donated it to the Foundation for the Big
Dig! Many thanks for that gesture of kindness and to all the people in at-
tendance that evening who dropped money in the bucket to help.
The current list of Big Dig donors is at right. There’s still time to make your
donation (the Foundation is a 501c3, so it’s tax deductible). It’s easy! All you
have to do is fill out the form below and return it to the club, call Ellen at 518-
463-1151 to make a credit card donation over the phone or donate online at
https://www.youcaring.com/university-club-foundation-561770.
THANK YOU!
Allen, Joseph*
Ambrecht, Michael* Barnard, Sylvia* Berkley, Richard* Boettner, Doug & Debbie* Brogna, Mark* Burns, Elizabeth Bush, Brian* City Club of Albany Davies, James* Eberle, Donald
Esposito, Anthony* Flood, Keith* Grasso, Vito and Susan* Gretter, Worth Hochfelder, David* Katz, Holly Kinsch, Noelle & Shahinfar, Darius* Krupka, Lew MacAffer, Kenneth & Ursula* Mackin & Casey
McCauley, Ken & Genevieve* McCauley, Peter and Jean Meserve, Donald* NYS Academy of Family Physicians Palladino, Joanna Polomaine, Casey Praus, Paul Rosen, Elliott* Ross, James Ryan, Colleen*
Ryba, Christina* Selzam, Paul Sheppard, James M.* Stewart, Damon & Nicole* Stone, James Sullivan, Mary* Torch Club of Albany Van De Loo, Kathy* Webber, Cheryle Wilson, Lois*
Wutzer, Edmund* Wyld, John S.*
*University Club Members
Officers: Nate Maloney, President
Amy Hines-Kramer, Vice President
Tim Varney, Treasurer
Secretary, Robert Crudden
Colleen Ryan, Past President
Directors: Mark Brogna
Teresa Casey
Jim Davies
Jeffrey Hill
David Hochfelder
Geoffrey Hoderath
Ken McCauley
Frank Nemeth
Chuck Seifert
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
1 Lunch 2 Lunch 3 Lunch & Dinner
PINKSTER 6-8 pm The Greater Love Combo 8-10 pm
4 Club Closed
5 Club Closed
6 Lunch & Dinner Torch Club 6 p.m.
Yoga @ noon
7 Lunch & Dinner Yoga @ 4 pm
8 Lunch 9 Lunch 10 Lunch & Dinner 11 Club Closed
12 Club Closed
13 Lunch & Dinner Yoga @ noon
14 Lunch & Dinner Yoga @ 4 pm
15 Lunch 16 Lunch 17 Lunch & Dinner 18 Club Closed
19 Club Closed
20 Lunch & Dinner
License to Quill Author Jacopo
della Quercia 6pm
21 Lunch & Dinner Yoga @ 4 pm
22 Lunch 23 Lunch 24 Lunch & Dinner Author Ray O’Connor
6 pm
25 Club Closed
26 Club Closed
27 Lunch & Dinner Yoga @ 10 am
28 Lunch & Dinner 29 Lunch 30 Lunch JULY 1 Lunch & Dinner
2 Club Closed through Monday, July 4th