Event Overview
Wednesday, June 5, 2024; 6:00–9:00 p.m. ET
Somerset Club
42 Beacon St.
Boston, MA 02108
6:00 - 6:45 pm Cocktails
6:45 - 9:00 pm Dinner and Program
Coat and tie required for gentlemen, cocktail attire for ladies. No cell phones.
Honoring The Rt Hon Sir John Major KG CH
In Conversation with Dr. Peter Abbott, OBE
Hosted by Ryan J. Woods and D. Brenton Simons, OBE
Honoring...
Sir John Major entered the British Parliament in 1979 and joined Margaret Thatcher’s Cabinet in 1987. Between 1989–1990 he served as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and Chancellor of the Exchequer. He became Prime Minister in November 1990 and, in 1992, led the Conservative Party to an unprecedented fourth term in office. As Prime Minister, Sir John focused his efforts upon securing peace in Northern Ireland and upholding Britain’s position in the world community as a political, social, and economic leader. He was Prime Minister throughout the first Gulf War and, at home, instigated long-term reforms in education, health, and public services. On leaving office in 1997, he handed over the strongest economy any incoming UK Government had inherited. Sir John retired from Parliament at the UK General Election in May 2001. His business interests include Senior Advisor to Credit Suisse and Chairman of the Advisory Board of Global Infrastructure Management. He chairs the Campaign Board of King’s London; is a Joint President of Chatham House; and Patron or President of a number of UK and international charities. In October 2011, he was appointed Chairman of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, a Commonwealth-wide initiative which was established to create a lasting legacy to Her Majesty’s 60 years as Sovereign. In 1999, Sir John was awarded the Companion of Honour by HM The Queen, in recognition of his initiation of the Northern Ireland Peace Process. In 2005, HM The Queen appointed him a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, England’s highest award for chivalry. In 2012, he was awarded The Grand Cordon of The Rising Sun by The Emperor of Japan.
In Conversation With...
Dr. Peter Abbott OBE has been a member of Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service since 2005. Before becoming British Consul General to New England in 2020, he served as Counsellor at the British High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan, with operational oversight of the largest mission in the UK’s overseas diplomatic network. Earlier in his career, Peter was Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Lisbon. Before being posted to Portugal, Peter covered West Africa, with a particular focus on the emerging threat of terrorism and instability in Mali and the Sahel. Prior to this, he led the Government’s review of the UK counter-radicalisation strategy, Prevent, based in the Office for Security and Counter-terrorism at the Home Office. This followed a posting to the British Embassy in Washington where he was Private Secretary to the Ambassador, Sir Nigel Sheinwald, from 2008–2010. Before joining the FCDO, Peter lived, studied, and worked in the United States, including interning in the office of Dennis Hastert when he was Speaker of the US House of Representatives and working on Arianna Huffington’s 2003 gubernatorial campaign in California. Peter holds a double first-class honours degree from the University of Cambridge as well as a PhD in Greek tragedy. He was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s 2021 New Year Honours List for services.
Hosted By...
An educator and historian, Ryan Woods is President and CEO of American Ancestors and is an appointed member of the Special Commission for the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. For nearly two decades, he has led the development of award-winning experiences for exploring family history, heritage, and culture. Ryan is also the Secretary General of the International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences.
D. Brenton Simons, OBE is President Emeritus and Chief Stewardship Officer American Ancestors. The recipient of the John Adams Medal (Sons of the Revolution) and the Bradford Award (Pilgrim Hall Museum) for excellence in nonprofit leadership, he is President of the International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences, which
will convene in Boston in September 2024 and is the President of The American Patrons of St. George's and The Descendants of the Knights of the Garter.
Platinum Benefactor
Brady Brim-DeForest
Thomas Bailey Hagen
Silver Benefactors
Bruce and Patricia Bartlett
Cheryl L. Edwards
Peter and Brantley Knowles
Helen E.R. Sayles
Herbert D. Simons
Jonathan Buck Treat and Leslie Aitken
Tawny Welch
Bronze Benefactors
David H. Burnham
Lea Sinclair Filson
Stefani and Ray Operacz
Parking and Directions
Parking
The Somerset Club is located at 42 Beacon Street, halfway between the State
House and Charles Street and specifically between Walnut and Spruce Streets.
It is a light gray granite building with two turrets, easy to spot amid all the red brick
in the area. The number 42 is important to remember because the building is
not otherwise identified.
FROM THE NORTH
93 South to the Leverett Circle exit (exit ramp goes from 2 lanes to one back to 2 lanes),
left exit to Storrow Dr.
FROM THE SOUTH
93 North to Storrow Drive exit
FROM STORROW DRIVE
Going West (left exit), take the Copley Square exit. Going East take the Downtown exit, turn left on Beacon Street, then (almost immediately) right on Arlington Street. Keep Public Garden on your left as you turn left onto Boylston Street. At Charles Street turn left (still keeping Public Garden on your left). Boston Common will be on your right. (Boston Common Garage entrance on your right.) At the end of the parks, turn right onto Beacon Street. The Club will be a little way uphill on your left.
FROM MASS. TURNPIKE
Exit at Copley Square. Proceed straight along Stuart Street, going past Clarendon, Berkeley, and Arlington Street. Turn left onto Charles Street; follow Charles crossing Boylston Street, the Public Garden on your left, Boston Common on your right (Boston Common Garage entrance on your right). At the end of the parks, turn right onto Beacon Street. The Club will be a little way uphill on your left.
For more information, visit https://www.somersetclub.org/guest-info
Contact
Questions? Please contact Special Events Manager Kelly Neagle at kelly.neagle@nehgs.org or 617-226-1215.