1 of 7
Tommy Lawson Photography
Alberta Doochin, Debbie Cassetty, Linda Ervin, Carolyn Campbell
2 of 7
Tommy Lawson Photography
Darryl and Carol Yochem, Sally and Bill Norton
3 of 7
Tommy Lawson Photography
Dick Cowart; Bob McDonald, Regent of Andrew Jackson Foundation; The Honorable Emily J. Reynolds, 2018 Lewis R. Donelson Award Recipient
4 of 7
Tommy Lawson Photography
Harrison and Ashley Frist, Lake and John Eakin
5 of 7
Tommy Lawson Photography
Sally Norton, Howard Kittell, Carol Yochem
6 of 7
Tommy Lawson Photography
Tom Brokaw
7 of 7
Tommy Lawson Photography
Tre Hargett, Bob McDonald, Frances Spradley
Former longtime journalist for NBC and American media icon Tom Brokaw served as the keynote speaker for The Hermitage Gala on Friday, October 26 at the Omni Nashville Hotel in downtown Nashville.
Brokaw spent his entire journalism career with NBC News, beginning in 1966 in the Los Angeles bureau, where he covered Ronald Reagan’s first run for public office, the rise of the 1960s counterculture, the assassination of Bobby Kennedy, and the 1968 presidential campaign.
Serving as co-chairs for The Hermitage Gala 2018 were Carol Yochem, First Tennessee Bank in Middle Tennessee president, and Sallie Norton, former finance director for U.S. Sen. Bill Frist. Mara Liasson, Andrew Jackson Foundation trustee and NPR national political correspondent, was the mistress of ceremonies for the evening.
This year’s black-tie event also included the presentation of the prestigious Lewis R. Donelson Award to The Honorable Emily J. Reynolds. Reynolds is a former regent (board chairwoman) of the Andrew Jackson Foundation, formerly the Ladies’ Hermitage Association, where she led the board’s transition from a local organization to a national scope.
The Lewis R. Donelson Award, named after the great-grandson of Andrew Jackson Donelson and longtime supporter of The Hermitage, is awarded to a leader who has supported The Hermitage and its preservation efforts, or has brought honor and recognition to President Andrew Jackson, his era and his legacy.
Proceeds from the Gala benefit the Andrew Jackson Foundation’s education and public programming, as well as assist the presidential home with its ongoing preservation and restoration projects.