This collection is open for research during scheduled appointments. Researchers must complete the Washington Library's Special
Collections and Archives Registration Form before access is provided. The library reserves the right to restrict access to
certain items for preservation purposes.
Preferred Citation
[Name and date of item], Operation Overview Collection, [Folder], Archives of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, Fred W.
Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington [hereafter Washington Library], Mount Vernon, Virginia
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
During the late 1950s, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association learned of plans to commercially develop the shoreline of Maryland
directly across from Mount Vernon. Several real estate and property deals were considered including a sewage plant and an
amusement park. The MVLA began a campaign to persuade local and federal government officials to support them in an effort
to restore and maintain the natural beauty of the Maryland shore across the Potomac in order to preserve Mount Vernon's view.
They argued that the river view from the estate is a vital part of Mount Vernon's historic presence and the MVLA's mission
to maintain the property as closely as possible to its appearance during George Washington's ownership. This campaign, known
to members of the Association as "Operation Overview," took years to accomplish and continued to be threatened after its initial
success. Today, the land directly across the Potomac River from Mount Vernon, and up and down the shore for several miles,
is now a part of the National Park Service known as Piscataway Park. The National Colonial Farm is located inside the park
and is operated by the Accokeek Foundation.
U.S. Congresswoman and philanthropist Frances P. Bolton was instrumental in the success of Operation Overview. She was born
in 1885 in Cleveland and married Chester C. Bolton, a U.S. Representative from Ohio, in 1907. After her husband's death in
1939, Mrs. Bolton was elected to complete the remainder of his term. She became the first woman in the U.S. House of Representatives
to serve the state of Ohio and remained in office until 1969. While serving on the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Africa,
Mrs. Bolton became an advocate for UNICEF and the independence of African colonies. She produced a film on her journeys through
the diverse African continent titled Africa: Giant with a Future. Mrs. Bolton was an active philanthropist with interests
in nursing education, public health, and social services. The nursing school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland
is named in her honor.
The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association appointed Frances P. Bolton as Vice Regent from Ohio in 1938. She served on several committees
including the Grounds Committee and the Mansion Committee. Her most notable contribution to the MVLA was her extraordinary
work on Operation Overview. By gathering Congress support, buying property on the Maryland shore, and securing land easements,
Mrs. Bolton helped save the beautiful, natural view from Mount Vernon while setting aside park land for future generations.
She died in Ohio in 1976.
These records were collected the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association to document the Operation Overview movement. A large portion
of the collection is correspondence, including letters by and from Vice Regent Frances Bolton and other members of Congress.
Other types of records represented are organizational reports, bulletins, statements, Congressional transcripts and bills,
news clippings, financial papers, and several drawings and photographs. The bulk of the records range from the 1960s to early
1970s.
According to the 1975 MVLA Council minutes, files regarding Operation Overview had been purposefully collected by the Association
and arranged "topically" by Mrs. Duncan, a Mount Vernon employee. Robert Straus of the Accokeek Foundation also gave the MVLA
"seven cartons" of related Accokeek files. The two different collections were originally to remain separate, but may have
been merged at some point. The original arrangement and folder titles were kept, with additional processing when necessary.
Only duplicate items were weeded. The folders are arranged and described alphabetically, then chronologically. There are no
series.
- Operation Overview Black Binders I-VI (mostly newspaper clippings)
- Papers of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association – specifically correspondence and papers of Vice Regent Frances P. Bolton,
Regent Rosamund H.R. Beirne, and Regent Elizabeth T. Cooke
- Book, The Possible Dream: Saving George Washington's View by Robert Ware Straus with Eleanor B. Straus, 1988.
