Admiral Richard E. Byrd
Admiral Richard Byrd is famous for his history-making expeditions to Antarctica and flights over the Arctic, but his personal life was an enigma, even to his biographer. Sterling College invites the public to attend a free talk given by his granddaughter, Eleanor “Lee” Byrd, where she will explore the lesser-known sides of her grandfather and his fascinating life from beginning to end. Her presentation “Richard E. Byrd: the Hero and the Man” will be held in the 1958 Room in Simpson Hall on Sterling’s campus in Craftsbury Common on Thursday, September 13, at 6:30 p.m.
“Admiral Byrd’s groundbreaking polar expeditions in the first half of the 20th century are inspirational to the students and faculty at Sterling College,” said Christina Goodwin, Dean of Advancement & Alumni Relations. “Our community looks forward to hearing Lee’s recollections and memories of her grandfather as only someone in her position is able to do.”
Adventure and exploration is a welcome and familiar topic at the College. Sterling, known for its environmental stewardship mission, offers Global Field Study opportunities to all of its students, which includes two-week and four-week intensives and semester-long wilderness courses.
Born in Philadelphia, Lee has two sons, Cameron Byrd and Elliot Byrd, and resides in Lexington, Virginia. Lee graduated from Simmons College in Boston with a bachelor’s degree in business management. A graduate of the Morven Park International Equestrian Institute in Virginia, Lee was an avid competition horse rider and has 45 years of experience as a trainer and instructor. Lee’s civic support work included board membership and project management for Crossroads Academy in Lyme, New Hampshire, and fundraising management for various community outreach programs. She is the author of the mystery Breath Work and is finishing an historical novel on her grandparents, Richard and Marie Byrd. Lee currently gives presentations that encompass her grandfather’s life, private and professional, as well as about her grandmother Marie and her role in his adventures.
For more information about this event, please call 802-586-7711.
