Dr. Rosanne Welch presents at Cal Poly Pomona’s Golden Leaves Presentation [Video] (5:21)

Dr. Rosanne Welch presents at Cal Poly Pomona’s Golden Leaves Presentation [Video] (5:21)

Thanks to the librarians at CalPoly Pomona for another fun afternoon listening to all my colleagues who have published books this year at the annual Golden Leaves Ceremony.  This year I enjoyed sharing a reading from my new novel, Filippo Mazzei America’s Forgotten Founding Father, the story of an Italian-American patriot who owned the plantation next door to Thomas Jefferson – but chose not to own slaves.  Rather he worked at establishing a vineyard with the help of other Italian immigrants (whose children and grandchildren helped populate Virginia according to records kept at Monticello). 

Alongside Jefferson, Mazzei wrote articles in support of the Revolution and is now credited with coining the phrase “All Men are Created Equal”, which Jefferson found so inspiring he added it to his Declaration. As the Revolutionary War waged on, Jefferson and other Founding Fathers asked Mazzei to return to Europe and solicit funds, weapons and other support from the leading countries of Europe, which he gladly did, though it separated him from the beloved country he had adopted. 

It is my hope that the more people who hear my talks and read this novel, the more will learn to add Mazzei’s name to the list of folks who helped found our country.

The Golden Leaves

Since 1986, the Golden Leaves program has celebrated those members of the Cal Poly Pomona campus community (faculty, staff, students, alumni and retirees) who have authored or edited a book* in the preceding year. The Golden Leaves program is funded by the University Library.

Each year books published by Cal Poly Pomona authors are on display in the Library during the month of April. The Golden Leaves program is celebrated annually at the University Library in conjunction with National Library Week.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS