Latin Club Readies for Visit from Classics Legend Mary Beard

Ms. Brinley and Charlotte Mendelson (‘25) pose for a photo with Dame Winifred Mary Beard (right) before her panel at the National Gallery of Art. Photo credit: Charlotte Mendelson 

Any Walls student in the Latin program—or anyone who has taken a class with Mr. Carlton Ackerman—has probably heard of Dame Winifred Mary Beard. An Ancient Rome classicist, professor, and author, Beard is known for her feminism, humor, and intellect, making her a role model at Walls. On Apr. 9 at 3:30 p.m., Beard will visit the Latin Club for a Q&A session in the library. All students, regardless of their involvement in the Latin program, are welcome to attend.

Beard, a professor at the University of Cambridge, is spending the year in DC as a fellow at the National Gallery of Art. Her visit to Walls comes after an impromptu meeting with Latin teacher Ms. Jane Brinley and senior Charlotte Mendelson (‘25) at a panel discussion. Before the event—where Beard spoke about her new book on Roman empires—Ms. Brinley and Mendelson spotted her outside the lecture room. “I sat down on the couch next to her and introduced myself and… Ms. Brinley,” Mendelson recalled. “She was really nice to us and really sweet.” After the panel, Ms. Brinley reached out to Beard on Instagram and invited her to visit Walls—and Beard agreed.

In preparation for her visit, the Latin Club has been learning about Beard’s background and brainstorming questions to ask her. Topics range from parallels between Trump and Caesar to her experience as a woman in the field of classics. Niamh O’Donovan (‘25), one of the Latin Club leaders, who is considering a career in classics, hopes to “learn what a career in classics looks like… [and] what her journey has been like.”

For members of the classics department, Beard’s visit represents more than just the chance to meet their idol. O’Donovan noted that it demonstrates how “the classics community is going strong.” Mendelson echoed this, emphasizing the importance of Beard’s visit in “expanding the school’s scope of knowledge.”

Anyone and everyone is encouraged to attend! And for those interested in diving deeper into the world of classics, Latin Club meets every Wednesday from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. in Room 324.