Description:Three quarter portrait of Mary Henderson dressed in pale blue gown trimmed in white with dee purple waist and and lower sleeves. With hands folded in lap, she sits in an ornately carved chair.
History:Portrait was painted to represent the young womanhood of Tennessee, to be hung in the Tennessee Room at the Atlanta Exposition in 1895. In 1945 Mrs. Kirkland gave the portrait to Vanderbilt which was hung in the School of Nursing, Mary Henderson Hall (now Godchaux Hall). It hangs in the parlor there.
Notes:In November, 1895, Mary Henderson of Knoxville, TN married James Hampton Kirkland (Chancellor of Vanderbilt University, 1893 – 1937). As the University’s first lady, she helped organize the Vanderbilt Women’s Club and the Vanderbilt Aid Society. She also helped unite all departments of the University in cooperative efforts and was a prominent figure in civic organizations.
