DACOR and DACOR Bacon House Foundation

11/03/2022

Today marks the 61st Anniversary of the creation of . We wish them a happy anniversary!

On Tuesday, an historic moment for DACOR and DACOR Bacon House Foundation - gathering all but one of the living counselors of USAID (Dave Eckerson would have joined us if it wasn't for a pesky cold) in one place to celebrate the 61st anniversary of the founding of the agency during the 70th year of DACOR. 72 people broke bread together and listened to the counselors share stories and observations of their time as counselor to the administrator, which is the top career position at the agency. We were honored and pleased to welcome the newly installed counselor Clinton White to whom we raised a glass and toasted to his future success and pledged to be a support and refuge to him as the home of the Foreign Affairs family. Thank you to DACOR members Tom Staal and Lynn Northcutt Vega and Kristy Mordhorst for organizing and spreading the word and to and Young Professionals in International Affairs for co-sponsoring the evening reception. DACOR looks forward to welcoming many new members to the fold as a result. If you are a Foreign Affairs Professional, you are welcome to join DACOR and make us your home away from home. https://www.dacorbacon.org/membership.php

10/17/2022

DACOR and DACOR Bacon House Foundation is proud to present in partnership with the Supreme Court Historical Society "An Evening with David M. Rubenstein" on November 16. Join us for Cocktails, Dinner & Program featuring patriotic philanthropist, author, speaker, and television host David M. Rubenstein moderating a discussion with biographer and Fromm Professor of International Law at UC Hastings Law Joel Richard Paul and Former U.S. The Honorable . Limited seating of 80 max. Rsvp:

09/22/2022

This week, we want to highlight a print that is housed in the DACOR and DACOR Bacon House Foundation Mews: "The Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States in 1787." The original piece was painted by Howard Chandler Christy in 1940 as a part of the congressional observance of the Constitution's sesquicentennial. To depict the scene as accurately as possible, Christy made the preliminary sketches in the same room in Independence Hall, at the same time of year and at the same time of day as the Convention took place so as to capture the angle of the sunlight in the room. Interestingly, the painting, which hangs in the House of Representatives, was slashed in 1967 in an act of vandalism. This painting also depicts Daniel Carroll, relative of previous DACOR Bacon House owner, William Thomas Carroll (the furthest gentleman to the left).

09/19/2022

Check out our Album from our inaugural Afternoon Tea in Celebration of Virginia Murray Bacon's Birthday. The last private owner of the DACOR Bacon House, Mrs. Bacon left the stewardship of her beloved home to DACOR. Attended by members, friends and family, everyone had a great time socializing and partaking in the food and drink. Be sure to save the date now for next year's Tea: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 2 - 4 pm.

Friday, September 9, 2022

09/19/2022

Attendees enjoy our inaugural Afternoon Tea event in honor of Virginia Murray Bacon's (the last private owner of the DACOR Bacon House) Birthday.

09/19/2022

Photos from DACOR and DACOR Bacon House Foundation's post

09/19/2022

Photos from DACOR and DACOR Bacon House Foundation's post

09/14/2022

On Friday, September 9th, DACOR and DACOR Bacon House Foundation and Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST) hosted a joint Foreign Insights program titled, “The Upcoming Bosnia-Herzegovina Elections and the Way Forward: Perspectives from the Three Constituent Peoples.” For this program, three academics from Bosnia-Herzegovina came together to discuss four main themes: creating a common national identity among the three constituencies, historic attempts at interethnic reconciliation, the role of the international community, and how to move forward. These academics were Dr. Adnan Huskic from the Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, Dr. Drazen Pehar from the DiploFoundation, and Dr. Nina Sajic from University of Banjaluka. To get a look at the different perspectives surrounding the current state of the country, check out this program on the DACOR website!

09/08/2022

Enjoy this photo of the DACOR Bacon House from the mid-1920s! 100 years later and it's just as beautiful, although the neighborhood might look a little bit different...

09/06/2022

Happy birthday to our original benefactor Virginia Murray Bacon who’s 132nd birthday we mark on Friday with our first annual benefit tea party in her honor and memory. We have sold out and there are no more seats left. Please Make a gift in her memory for $132 at www.DACORbacon.org/donate and save the date for the first week of September 2023 for next time and be sure to make your reservations early!

09/05/2022

Last Chance!!! - Register today for our Afternoon Tea to Celebrate Virginia Bacon’s 132nd Birthday in Style!

As our end-of-Summer event, on September 9th at 2:30PM, join us for a full English with all the trimmings to celebrate and honor the 132nd birthday of our original benefactor, Mrs. ; surrounded by the splendor that is .

Mrs. Bacon left the House as a legacy to fulfill her wish - to which DACOR is entrusted – that it serves as a vital space "where those in civic service can gather together and exchange views on world problems." She also once said, “This House needs to be amused and entertained!” And entertain we shall!

Enjoy a delightfully civilized afternoon and while you’re at it, become a of the almost 200-year-old ‘home-away-from-home’ of the Community. Let’s kick off the in style as a tribute to how thankful we are to Virginia Murray Bacon for her foresight and generosity. We look forward to seeing you!

Business Attire / Hats or Fascinators Encouraged
Subscription: $132 / person ($100 is tax-deductible)
Registrations close on 9/5!!

Click to Register: https://mms.dacorbacon.org/Calendar/moreinfo.php

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09/02/2022

On this day, 77 years ago, the formal surrender of the Japanese forces took place aboard the U.S.S. Missouri while anchored in Tokyo Bay, forever memorializing it as V-J Day. This bittersweet day, in light of the overwhelming destructiveness of the war, is depicted in two photos kept in the DACOR Bacon House Collection. In the first photo, Japanese General Yoshijiro Umezu is shown signing his name on the Instrument of Surrender. In the second photo, General Douglas McArthur adds his signature as well. According to an interview conducted by a Cleveland newspaper with a veteran who was present at the signing, the agreement was supposed to be signed on an elegant mahogany table but, at the last minute, officials realized that the table was much too small. A metal table was quickly brought up from the mess hall and used to support this momentous moment. You can see the metal leg of the table peaking out from under the tablecloth in the first photo.

09/02/2022

This week, we are highlighting the "Careless Talk Costs Lives" Campaign posters that have found a home at DACOR Bacon House. This World War II era propaganda campaign was used to discourage talk about sensitive material in spaces where it could theoretically be overheard by spies. Additionally, it was used to prevent morale-sapping rumors from spreading and undermining the war effort. These entertaining posters were illustrated by British cartoonist Cyril Bird, whose pen name was Fougasse. Although Bird worked unpaid for the Ministry of Information when he created these posters, he was awarded the honor of Commander of the Order of the British empire for his work. Members will be able to find out more about our Fougasse posters (we have more than the two below!) and the artist in the upcoming October edition of the DACOR Bulletin. Want access to our periodical? Join DACOR! https://www.dacorbacon.org/membership

08/25/2022

It’s High Time for High Tea to Celebrate Virginia Bacon’s 132nd Birthday in Style!

As our end-of-Summer event, on September 9th at 2:30PM, join us for a full English with all the trimmings to celebrate and honor the 132nd birthday of our original benefactor, Mrs. ; surrounded by the splendor that is .

Mrs. Bacon left the House as a legacy to fulfill her wish - to which DACOR is entrusted – that it serves as a vital space "where those in civic service can gather together and exchange views on world problems." She also once said, “This House needs to be amused and entertained!” And entertain we shall!

Enjoy a delightfully civilized afternoon and while you’re at it, become a of the almost 200-year-old ‘home-away-from-home’ of the Community. Let’s kick off the in style as a tribute to how thankful we are to Virginia Murray Bacon for her foresight and generosity. We look forward to seeing you!

Business Attire / Hats or Fascinators Encouraged

Subscription: $132 / person ($100 is tax-deductible)

Click to Register: https://mms.dacorbacon.org/Calendar/moreinfo.php?eventid=39466

If you cannot join us for tea but wish to contribute $132 to the House Preservation Fund in honor of Mrs. Bacon’s birthday, please visit www.DACORBacon.org/DONATE or send your donation check for $132 in honor of Mrs. Bacon’s 132nd Birthday to 1801 F St, NW Washington, DC 20006 made out to “DACOR Bacon House Foundation” with “VMB Birthday” in the memo line.

! American Foreign Service Association AAFSW American Foreign Service Protective Association Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST)

08/18/2022

This print, depicting the US Consulate in Godthaab, Greenland, tells an interesting story, one that gives its viewers a glance into American's WWII era fear of N**i Germany. When Germany invaded Denmark in April 1940, Dacorian William K. Penfield had just returned from assignment in China when Assistant Secretary Adolphe Berle sent him off to Godthaab (today's Nuuk), Greenland. Fearing German pe*******on into Greenland, as Greenland remained a Danish colony until 1953, Berle quickly created the position of Consul to Godthaab and Penfield was given only one week to prepare for the new post. This preparation included lectures of geopolitics, Greenland history from Artic explorer Vilhjamur Stefansson, and briefings by Danish officials. As there was no housing for the consulate, Penfield and the State Department arranged for the shipment of a Sears, Roebuck mail order house. However, the individual who led the house assembly was a native Greenlander and unable to read English, so he threw away the instructions and built the modified house on instinct. The Consulate officially closed in October of 1953. More recently, in June 2020, U.S. Consulate Nuuk was re-opened, although it is no longer located in the mail-order house!

08/09/2022

Old House, New Garden: Tips For Successful Design

The DACOR Bacon House turns 200 in 2025. Over the centuries, the gardens of the House have had several iterations. In 2017, an accessibility ramp was added along F Street, through the front garden. Designing a ramp that was ADA compliant, complimented the historic nature of the building and integrated the garden was no mean feat, especially in the space available. Our wonderful landscape artist Robert Bell was recently featured in an article on Forbes examining “Old House, New Garden: Tips for Successful Design.” He uses the DACOR Bacon House as an example to illustrate how to approach this surmountable conundrum.
https://lnkd.in/eSkabyST

Just as houses have historic architectural styles, so do gardens reflect the aesthetics, trends and requirements of their time. But these can differ vastly from the aesthetics, trends and requirements of today.

08/02/2022

A Netflix show starring Keri Russell stirs buzz among U.S. diplomats

The news of the upcoming Netflix television show, “The Diplomat,” has inspired us to think back on what could have been, on DACOR’s missed shot at show biz. In April 1957, the Bulletin reported that the DACOR leadership had been collaborating with television producers in New York City to create a half hour weekly program about stories from the foreign service. This program, snappily titled “Mr. Consul,” would feature human interest stories fashioned from the real-life experiences of DACOR members, who were asked to put pen to paper and send in their tales. By August, the producer had sixty-six manuscripts and five books in hand. Was there any guidance given on acceptable topics? “Anything dramatic – war, civil strife, catastrophes, smugglers, bandits, irresponsible compatriots – or humorous; always indicating how the foreign service, like the United States Marines, saves or tries to save a situation.” According to the Bulletin, the television producers would buy what an average American would like to see on TV, and “apparently one of those things would be to see themselves traveling abroad, having adventures, and being rescued by Mr. Consul.” Unfortunately, despite a flood of manuscripts, the show never aired, leaving one to wonder at what a fascinating collection of stories they must have gathered.

She plays an ambassador, so she’ll spend most of the series waiting for Senate confirmation, right?

08/01/2022

DACOR and DACOR Bacon House Foundation held its annual last week. This year, the food had a Caribbean influence to match our wonderful steel drummer's music. The event also featured a tasting of the new range of DACOR Bacon House-specific cocktails. In addition, we held our first DACOR Artists' Display featuring the works of six of our artistic members.

And, we were absolutely delighted to be joined by Diplomatic Fellows from the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Program, Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program, & USAID Donald M. Payne Fellowship. During their fellowships, DACOR welcomes the fellows to it's community with privileges of the House including attending our events (such as the BBQ!), renting our guestrooms and entertainment spaces, networking with and more. Welcome to DACOR Diplomatic Fellows!

If you missed our Summer BBQ, make sure you join us for our next seasonal reception this fall!

07/29/2022

Another important item in DACOR's silver collection it the Alvey Augustus Adee Presentation Cup. Awarded to Acting Secretary of State Adee in 1910, it is a reminder of Adee's supporting role in the drama surrounding the return of diplomatic colleague John Paul Jones' body to the United States. Jones, a high profile naval captain in the American Revolutionary War, sometimes known as the "Father of the American Navy," died in Paris in 1792. Buried in a cemetery which was later sold by the French Revolutionary government and forgotten about, Jones' remains were lost until, after six years of searching and the utilization of an old map of Paris, American Ambassador Horace Porter finally located them. Jones' remains were brought back to the U.S., ushered in by entire squadron of American warships, and laid to rest at the U.S. Naval Academy. On the eve of this reinternment, Secretary of Navy Charles Bonaparte asked Adee to arrange an independent autopsy as he was skeptical that the remains were truly those of Jones. In reaction to this request, Adee ran into Bonaparte's office "from which a strange bellowing sound emerged," and after which Bonaparte decided to not pursue the topic any further. At the time, Adee's direct superior was Robert Bacon, father-in-law of our House's owner, Virginia Murray Bacon. Adee was also a member of The Family, from which DACOR received its first meeting place, many of its artifacts, and its diplomatic lineage.

07/27/2022

Test your knowledge of the U.S. Department of State

Test your knowledge of the U.S. Department of State

You know the U.S. Department of State conducts foreign policy on behalf of the United States. But do you know all the ways it helps Americans as they go about their everyday lives? Take this quiz to test your knowledge of some of those diplomatic efforts.

07/27/2022

On July 26th DACOR and DACOR Bacon House Foundation and The Serendipity Group hosted an event for those who have worked, lived or fostered an interest in the country of Sri Lanka. The post reunion was held at the historic DACOR Bacon House and guests enjoyed delicious Sri Lankan inspired food and wonderful remarks from the Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Mahinda Samarasinghe. The Ambassador shared his experiences since his arrival in Washington, DC and navigation of the current situation in his country. If you missed out on this entertaining evening, make sure to join us at future post reunions!

07/22/2022

Membership - DACOR

DACOR and DACOR Bacon House Foundation is always happy to welcome new members into our community. And, peer-to-peer recruitment is one of the most successful ways to introduce and recruit new members. That's why we encourage current members to recruit at least one new member a year, and preferably more.

Need guidance on our Each One Get One recruitment strategy? Check out member Dana Linnet's tips for stellar recruitment on the DACOR website! She shared five ways to get started:

1. Leverage your own network: post on social media, engage your friends, explore your wider circles
2. Maintain an inclusive and welcoming attitude
3. Know who you're talking to: tailor value propositions to the needs and wants of each person (e.g. affordability, reciprocal clubs, programming)
4. Guide them through the process: Make sure to share the link to the membership page, https://www.dacorbacon.org/membership to ease the process and offer your support and sponsorship along the way
5. Follow through and follow up: Check back in and encourage them to finish the process

Dacor members enjoy a treasure trove of exceptional benefits: from intellectually stimulating programs to fun and lively social events; from use of the DACOR Bacon House for personal celebrations to access to inexpensive guest rooms for friends and family; from reciprocal club rights all over the wo...

07/21/2022

One of the oldest items in DACOR and DACOR Bacon House Foundation's silver collection, it is possible that this silver plate warmer was used by no other than himself. In 1770, Mrs. Bacon's maternal great-great grandfather built a house at 1 Chery Street in New York City. He was the original owner of the plate warmer. After his death, his daughter's husband rented the house with complete furnishings to the government to be used as the President's House from April 1789 to February 1790. It is very likely that this piece was utilized by George and Martha Washington during their stay at what was known as "The Palace."

07/20/2022

On Thursday, July 7th, DACOR held a program featuring the 2022 delegates of the New Story Leadership for the Middle East program, titled “A New Story: Young Leaders of Israel and Palestine.” These young Israeli and Palestinian leaders shared their stories and insights regarding the violent realities of the crisis in their homes, while underscoring a desperate need for nuanced understandings and humanistic approaches. Offering a fascinating array of perspectives, the participants in this program, with the help of the New Story Leadership team, have crafted strong narratives and equally as strong bonds with their team members despite stark differences in background. Thank you to the delegates for offering their fascinating stories and insights!

07/14/2022

The answer to last weeks is George Washington! This print depicts the house and garden as they were in 1751 when George Washington stayed there on his only visit outside of the United States. This trip, undertaken as an eighteen year old, would inform Washington's view of the world as it was his first experience outside of provincial Virginia and established him as a "person of distinction" with exposure to military officials and fortifications.

07/13/2022

DACOR and DACOR Bacon House Foundation and the Serendipity Group present a Friends of Sri Lanka Social. Whether you are from Sri Lanka, worked there, lived there, visited there, or are interested in the country, join us for a fun evening with Sri Lankan inspired food and great camaraderie. All are welcome to join this fun evening!