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The Declaration in Conversation with Dr. Colleen Shogan and Carol Cadou

September 24, 2026

Event Details

Date: September 24, 2026
Time: 6:30 pm
–7:45 pm

Greenwich Historical Society is excited to present an engaging and enlightening series of educational lectures and presentations exploring the breadth of American history over the course of 250 years. Each month, join the Historical Society for a special presentation covering topics from experts in the fields of fashion, local and national history, archaeology, historic preservation, archives, and more.

Light bites and drinks will be available from 5:30-6:30pm in the lobby of the Vanderbilt Education Center before each presentation begins. A Q&A with the audience will follow all presentations.

For 250 years, the Declaration of Independence has been the backbone of United States historical and governmental ideology. This fall, dive deeper into the documentary history of the Declaration with The Declaration in Conversation presentation at Greenwich Historical Society.

This evening offers an opportunity to gain insight from former National Archivist and current Georgetown adjunct professor of American political development, Dr. Colleen Shogan. In conversation with Carol Cadou, Executive Director & CEO of the Historical Society, Dr. Shogan will share her in-depth perspective on one of the country’s most influential archival documents.

Speaker Biography

Dr. Colleen Shogan

Dr. Colleen J. Shogan served as the 11th Archivist of the United States, the first woman in American history appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate to lead the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). A noted author and political scientist, Colleen is deeply committed to civics education and prioritized sharing the records of the National Archives to a wider audience. Under her leadership, NARA launched numerous strategic initiatives to enhance services and make its holdings more accessible, both in-person and online, with the goal of cultivating public participation and strengthening our nation's democracy.

Prior to becoming Archivist, Colleen served in several cultural heritage leadership roles. She was Senior Vice President and Director of the David M. Rubenstein Center at the White House Historical Association, worked in the United States Senate, and served as a senior executive at the Library of Congress and its Congressional Research Service. She was the Vice Chair of the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Capitol Historical Society.

A native of the Pittsburgh area, she holds a B.A. in Political Science from Boston College and a Ph.D. in American Politics from Yale University, where she was a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow. Colleen is the 2024 recipient of the American Political Science Association’s Hubert Humphrey Award for outstanding public service.

Colleen is currently a senior advisor at More Perfect, an alliance of 43 presidential centers and hundreds of civic leaders and organizations, that invites Americans to consider the most enduring lessons of our history while informing the future of our democracy. She is also a Senior Fellow in Civics Education at Stand Together and an Adjunct Professor of Government at Georgetown University, where she teaches a graduate seminar in American Political Development.

 

Carol Cadou

Executive Director and CEO, Greenwich Historical Society

Carol Cadou is the Executive Director and CEO of the Greenwich Historical Society.  She has also served as the Executive Director of the National Society of the Colonial Dames in America and the Charles F. Montgomery Director and CEO of Winterthur Museum.  Carol spent nineteen years at George Washington’s Mount Vernon—first as Curator and eventually as Senior Vice President for Historic Preservation and Collections.

Prior to Mount Vernon, Carol was the Curator for the Maryland State Art Collection and the Curator of Education at Historic Charleston Foundation.

She is a graduate of Wellesley College, the Sotheby’s American Arts Course, and the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture.  In 2019, Carol received her MBA from Ohio University.

Her publications include The Installation of Historic Architecture at Winterthur Museum, The George Washington Collection: Fine and Decorative Arts at Mount Vernon, and Stewards of Memory: The Past, Present, and Future of Historic Preservation at Mount Vernon. Carol’s most recent publication project, Great American Treasures: Women Preserving History Since 1891, will be on shelves for America’s 250th celebration.

 

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