For Immediate Release: Monday, October 22, 2001

THE JOLLIFICATION CELEBRATION FOR GOVERNOR WESTMORELAND DAVIS

In honor of the upcoming Virginia governor's election, Morven Park has mounted a new exhibit focusing on the election of Westmoreland Davis, governor of Virginia from 1918-1922 and the last private owner of Morven Park in Leesburg.

On February 1, 1918, Davis entered Richmond to be sworn in as Virginia's 55th governor. A corporate attorney who met with success in New York City, Davis returned to Virginia, his boyhood home, and purchased Morven Park near Leesburg in 1903. His ideas turned Morven Park into an agricultural showplace and he gained the trust of Virginia's farmers whose support ultimately would help him to win the governor's office.

The exhibit will feature items form Davis' election campaign and his four years in office. Borrowed from the Library of Virginia is the official governor's portrait of Davis that has been on display in the state capital. Also shown are original newspapers and campaign materials from the archives. Many photographs are on exhibit for the first time. A must see is the snapshot of Governor Davis in an airplane. He was the first governor of any state to fly in an airplane and he did so to support the troops during World War I. During his time in office, Davis became known for his organization skills and ability to run the state government like a successful business. According to Tracy Gillespie, Director of Curatorial Services, "Governor Davis' streamlining of government operations corresponded will with the cutbacks necessarily implemented during World War I. He instituted an executive budget that became known as the "Virginia Plan", a model copied by eight other states."

The role of Mrs. Davis as the first lady of Virginia during World War I is also featured as part of the exhibit. Active and visible during her husband's term of office, Mrs. Davis volunteered as a nurse's aid during the influenza epidemic of 1918-1919, was President of the Women's Munition Reserve and became one of our most popular first ladies.

The exhibit will run through December 16th when the property closes for the season. It may be seen as part of the regular house tour offered Thursday through Mondays (through the end of October) and weekends only in November. Tours are available between 1 pm - 4 pm. If anyone has items related to Governor Davis and his campaign, please contact Tracy Gillespie at 703-777-6034.

For More Information Contact:

Pamela Woolley 703-777-2890
Morven Park International Equestrian Center