Robin Waites, executive director for Historic Columbia Foundation speaks to the USC Chapter of the DAR.

The USC Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution met this month at the S.C. State Museum. Stories of great women in American history were shared in honor of Women's History Month. Mary Cruce gave a report on American interests in Africa. Four new members were accepted into the chapter.

The guest speaker was Robin Waites, currently the executive director for Historic Columbia Foundation. Waites, a life long resident of Columbia is passionate about preservation and education. She has a BA degree with a double major in art history and Russian from Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, as well as an MA in art history from USC. She started her career at the S.C. State Museum where she was chief curator of art. Next, she became the director of marketing and development with Historic Columbia.

Waites is a 2004 graduate of Leadership Columbia and a 2007 recipient of The State newspaper's "20 under 40." Waites gave a talk on the Historic Columbia Garden Restoration Project and future plans to connect historic properties like the Hampton- Preston Mansion, the Mann- Simons Cottage, the Robert Mills House, the Seibels House, and the Woodrow Wilson Home by garden walkways.

Carolyn Dupree USC Chapter DAR

The restoration process may be followed at www.historiccolumbia.org. Waites extended an invitation to DAR members to consider serving as a docent and lead guided tours of historic house museums.

Waites also shared information about the unique partnership between Historic Columbia Gardens and Palmetto Health Richland's Total Joint Replacement Center. The gardens have become important in the rehabilitation of patients. Next month's DAR meeting will be held at the Presbyterian Home on DaVega Drive April 9 at 2 pm. http://home.sc.rr.com/uscd ar/.

Jean Arrants Historian USC Chapter DAR