A Seat at the Table with our Founding Documents

Thursday, April 30, 2026

Time: 6-9 p.m. 

Location: The Newberry Library
Restrictions: Adults only.

Hosted by Ramya Shah & Ajay Shah '97, P'28, P'30

You are cordially invited to an intimate evening of scholarship, conversation, and philanthropy at The Newberry Library, one of Chicago’s most iconic cultural landmarks and an architectural gem, open since 1887. Home to over 1.6 million books, 600,000 maps and 5 million manuscript pages, The Newberry Library is a gateway to six centuries of human history.

This salon experience offers privileged access to The Newberry’s distinguished collections and thoughtful engagement with the words and ideas that shaped our nation. The evening begins with a Guided Exhibition Tour of Free & Independent: The Declaration of Independence and the Words That Shaped America, an exclusive Collection Presentation of select materials related to America’s 250th—rare items referenced in the evening’s conversation, and concludes with an elegant, seated dinner and moderated conversation panel. Our distinguished speakers include Astrida Orle Tantillo; President & Librarian, The Newberry, Will Hansen; Roger and Julie Baskes Vice President for Collections and Library Services, The Newberry, and special guest Eric Slauter; Deputy Dean of the Humanities, The University of Chicago and curator of Free & Independent.

In an intimate conversation setting, our distinguished speakers will explore how original documents and artifacts accessible to all deepens our public understanding of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution—and sustains us throughout this ongoing American experiment. Timely discussion highlights include:

• Stewardship & Access: How public access to original documents (and the practice of handling, reading, and learning from them) informs our understanding of the founding texts—and why this matters today.
• The “Director’s Cut”: Rare works, manuscripts, and artifacts most desired for inclusion in the exhibition but ultimately left out—what they reveal about our intellectual and cultural inheritance.
• Women and the Declaration’s Afterlives: From Deborah Sampson to Susan B. Anthony and beyond—women’s roles in the making, interpreting, and commemorating of the nation’s founding ideals, and the ongoing dialogues their stories inspire.

We hope you can join us for what is sure to be a thoughtful and memorable Salon Lab 2026!