February 22 @ 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Cemetery Speaker Series: Remembering Daniel Smith, “Son of a Slave” Author

Loretta Neumann was born, raised, and educated in Oklahoma. She came to DC in 1967. She was an editor and branch chief for the National Park Service and afterwards served with the U.S. House of Representatives, where she handled national parks and historic preservation legislation. For 10 years Loretta owned a government relations firm, after which she directed President Clinton’s American Heritage Rivers Initiative. She later worked for Representative Mark Udall and in 2001 retired from Federal service.

Active in many national and local organizations, Loretta is a co-founder and past president of the Alliance to Preserve the Civil War Defenses of Washington. A resident of Takoma DC, she is a co-founder of Historic Takoma Inc., and successfully sought designation of the Takoma Historic District.

Loretta is a long-time member of the Committee of 100 on the Federal City. She also served for six years on the board of the DC Preservation League, and in 2022 she was awarded DCPL’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2024 Loretta was included in DC Women, the publication of the National Women’s Foundation that recognizes women who have had a profound impact on Washington, DC. In February 2025, she is receiving the DC Civil War Round Table’s Edwin C. Bearss Legacy Award that honors persons whose own efforts preserve U.S. Civil War historic sites and landmarks and promote education about them.

Loretta married Daniel R. Smith on October 28, 2006. He died on October 19, 2022, and is buried in Congressional Cemetery.

Loading Events

Son of a man born enslaved in 1863 during the Civil War, Daniel Smith (1932-2022) was living proof that slavery is not distant history. His father, 70 years old when Dan was born, taught him to work hard and carry himself well, even in difficult circumstances. In his educational, professional, and social pursuits, Dan lived those lessons. He was both witness to and participant in nearly a century of struggle for Black Americans to advance in a nation founded on separatist principles. For the intersections he had with historical events, political leaders, and other luminaries, he is often called the “Black Forrest Gump.” In his memoir Son of a Slave, completed just before he died on Oct. 19, 2022 at age 90, Smith offered a first-hand account of the actions, policies, and people that have helped or hindered the United States from fulfilling the promise that “all men are created equal.”

In this first 2025 entry of the Cemetery Speaker Series, Historic Congressional Cemetery welcomes guest speaker Loretta Neumann, Daniel Smith’s wife, to reflect on her husband’s life and legacy.

Tickets are only $10 and all proceeds go to benefit our non-profit mission of historical preservation and education. Space is limited so be sure to reserve your spot today! Keynote remarks will take place either outside or inside the Chapel, weather depending, and the walking tour will take place on the grounds. The tour is approximately 45 minutes in length. Please come prepared with comfortable clothing and shoes, as the tours often stray from the main paths. Sign up below!



Venue

Historic Congressional Cemetery Chapel
1801 E Street, Southeast
Washington, DC 20003 United States
+ Google Map
Phone
(202) 543-0539
Go to Top