A Guide to President Jon Alger鈥檚 Washington
Upon returning to Washington after 24 years, President Jon Alger marveled that some places looked the same鈥攖he building not far 麻豆视频作品where he used to live, for example, and the Friendship Heights restaurant where he and wife Mary Ann went after they got engaged鈥攚hile other corners of the city, from the Wharf to Nationals Park, have been completely transformed.听
Even still, DC 鈥渧ery much feels like home to me.鈥
As Alger, who joined 麻豆视频作品on July 1,听gets to the know the campus and our community,听he鈥檚 also getting reacquainted with the city where he lived for 11 years, fresh out of law school. Here,听麻豆视频作品Now听presents a guide to some of Alger鈥檚 favorite DC haunts and pastimes鈥攁 way for us to get to know him.
鈥淚n this temple . . .鈥
More than 8 million people each year visit the Lincoln Memorial鈥攂y far the city鈥檚 most popular monument. Modeled in the style of a Greek temple, the memorial, which honors the country鈥檚 16th president, is听our听16th president鈥檚 favorite monument in听a city that boasts more than 100 of them.
鈥淚 always liked the fact that Lincoln鈥攅ven though he鈥檚 a towering, larger-than-life figure鈥攊s seated. He鈥檚 not on a horse, he鈥檚 not brandishing a sword. It鈥檚 almost like you want to crawl into his lap,鈥 Alger said. 鈥淏eing surrounded by the words from some of his greatest speeches invites me in [to the space] in a different way from many other monuments.鈥
Fun fact:听From head to toe, the 175-ton statue of Lincoln is 19 feet tall. The scale is such that, if Honest Abe were standing, he would be 28 feet tall.
Worm into a book听
Whether you鈥檙e in a beach chair near the ocean or a recliner in your living room, a good book is a great way to pass the summer.
A Harvard-educated attorney, Alger has a penchant for John Grisham鈥檚 legal thrillers. He also has an affinity for history books鈥攑articularly those that chronicle the founding of our nation.
The former president of James Madison University has about 20 books about that听particular听founding father. But Alger said he鈥檚 looking forward to digging into a biography of AU鈥檚 founder, Bishop John Fletcher Hurst, published more than a century ago and gifted to him by a colleague.
Fun fact:听History and mystery/crime are the most popular genres among American readers, according to the听Washington Post.
And speaking of history . . .听
Also on Alger鈥檚 Washington to-do list is a visit to his favorite of the Smithsonian institutions鈥攖he National Museum of American History. (Natural history is a close second.)
鈥淚鈥檓 a history buff, and I鈥檝e always said, if you鈥檙e going to live in a city like DC, you have to take advantage of these unique opportunities,鈥 he said.听
The Smithsonian鈥攈eaded by Secretary Lonnie Bunch, CAS/BA 鈥74, MA 鈥76鈥攂oasts about 157 million objects, works of art, and specimens. Among the most popular items on exhibit at the American history museum are George Washington鈥檚 uniform, Thomas Jefferson鈥檚 lap desk, Dorothy鈥檚 ruby slippers from the听Wizard of Oz, and the American flag that inspired the national anthem.
Fun fact:听Last year, there were 17.7 million visits to the Smithsonian museums鈥攖he most since 2019.
Single or double?
Raise a cone (or a cup) to National Ice Cream Month with a scoop of your favorite sweet treat.听
Alger is nuts for peanut butter chocolate, which checks in at No. 12 on YouGov鈥檚 2023 survey of Americans鈥 favorite flavors. Vanilla tops the list, followed by chocolate, cookies and cream, strawberry, and chocolate chip.
鈥淐hocolate and peanut butter is the combination of choice for me with ice cream, cheesecake, pie, candy鈥攁ll of it,鈥 Alger said with a smile.听
Fun fact:听The average American eats about four gallons of ice cream each year.
Life鈥檚 a stage
A lifelong theatergoer, Alger is eager to amass more playbills from DC playhouses, from the Kennedy Center and Arena Stage to the National Theatre and Ford鈥檚 Theatre.
鈥淥ur daughter, Eleanor, who now lives in Los Angeles, majored in theater and got a master鈥檚 in dramatic writing for the stage and screen. So, I鈥檝e learned a lot through her eyes about theater and what makes a great production,鈥 Alger said.
Top of his list for the 2024鈥25 season is听Les Mis茅rables,听which kicks off its monthlong run at the Kennedy Center Opera House next summer.听
鈥淚鈥檝e seen it multiple times and the reason I like it so much is that it鈥檚 a fascinating study of the conflict between manmade law and a higher spiritual law. It鈥檚 always been a show that really made me think about relationships and how we deal with one another,鈥 he said.听
Fun fact:听Since it opened in 1985,听Les Mis茅rables听has been seen by more than 130 million people in 53 countries, 438 cities, and 22 languages.听