2017 Fall Family History Benefit Dinner: Winston Groom
On October 26, 2017, nearly 100 guests gathered at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston for the Fall Family History Benefit Dinner, honoring author and bestselling historian Winston Groom with the Lifetime Achievement Award in History and Literature.
Winston Groom took the publishing world by storm when his 1986 novel Forrest Gumpflew to the top of the New York Times bestseller list and stayed there for 21 weeks. He is the author of more than 20 books. In addition to Forrest Gump and Gump & Co., Groom’s novels include the award-winning As Summers Die, which was made into a movie starring Bette Davis; Shiloh, 1862; The Aviators; and The Generals. He is also the author of Conversations with the Enemy, a non-fiction account of the experience of an American prisoner of war in Vietnam, a brilliantly rendered Pulitzer Prize finalist. His latest novel, El Paso, was published by Liveright in 2016.
Brenton Simons presented Mr. Groom with an expertly prepared genealogy of his family. Simons revealed in detail Groom’s deep southern roots and ethnic variety including Croatian, Irish, Spanish, and French ancestry. Highlighted were the author’s ancestors noted for their patriotic service including the Civil War, the War of 1812, and the Revolutionary War. But the surprise of the evening for Groom, who won the 2011 Harper Lee Award for Alabama’s Distinguished Writer of the Year, was that he is Harper Lee’s 7th cousin once removed. He is also a 7th cousin twice removed of Truman Capote and an 8th cousin once removed of Alabama actress Tallulah Bankhead.
The dinner’s Silver Benefactor was Sit Investment Associates. David H. Burnham, Stephen H. Case, Thomas Bailey Hagen, Nancy S. Maulsby, Mark Kimball Nichols, and Welch & Forbes LLC were Benefactors for the evening. Honorary Co-Chairs were Judith and Louis Freeman.
Read MoreWinston Groom took the publishing world by storm when his 1986 novel Forrest Gumpflew to the top of the New York Times bestseller list and stayed there for 21 weeks. He is the author of more than 20 books. In addition to Forrest Gump and Gump & Co., Groom’s novels include the award-winning As Summers Die, which was made into a movie starring Bette Davis; Shiloh, 1862; The Aviators; and The Generals. He is also the author of Conversations with the Enemy, a non-fiction account of the experience of an American prisoner of war in Vietnam, a brilliantly rendered Pulitzer Prize finalist. His latest novel, El Paso, was published by Liveright in 2016.
Brenton Simons presented Mr. Groom with an expertly prepared genealogy of his family. Simons revealed in detail Groom’s deep southern roots and ethnic variety including Croatian, Irish, Spanish, and French ancestry. Highlighted were the author’s ancestors noted for their patriotic service including the Civil War, the War of 1812, and the Revolutionary War. But the surprise of the evening for Groom, who won the 2011 Harper Lee Award for Alabama’s Distinguished Writer of the Year, was that he is Harper Lee’s 7th cousin once removed. He is also a 7th cousin twice removed of Truman Capote and an 8th cousin once removed of Alabama actress Tallulah Bankhead.
The dinner’s Silver Benefactor was Sit Investment Associates. David H. Burnham, Stephen H. Case, Thomas Bailey Hagen, Nancy S. Maulsby, Mark Kimball Nichols, and Welch & Forbes LLC were Benefactors for the evening. Honorary Co-Chairs were Judith and Louis Freeman.
