THE TWO WORLDS OF ANN GERTRUDE WIGHTT | Busboys and Poets Books

In 1831 Sister Gertrude Wightt, the directress of Georgetown Academy (now Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School), donned the hat and cape of one of her students and abruptly left the academy and life as a nun. She soon became a fixture on the Washington social scene and an intimate of Dolley Madison.

The Two Worlds of Ann Gertrude Wightt is the first comprehensive biography of the enigmatic Wightt. Drawing from a rich cache of previously overlooked primary sources, the book meticulously explores Wightt's transformation from respected academy directress to celebrated "parlor politician" in the nation's capital. It delves deeply into her innovations in female education, her unprecedented departure from convent life, and her remarkable social reinvention. The author reveals a complex narrative of the opportunities and limitations that Catholic religious life posed for this gifted, ambitious, and socially prominent young woman.

Scholars of American women's history and Catholicism, as well as general readers, will find an illuminating exploration of how one woman navigated and transcended the rigid boundaries of her time. This book also offers a profound window into the intersections of gender, class, and institutional power in nineteenth-century America, resurrecting this forgotten historical figure who challenges our understanding of women's experiences in the early American Republic.

Joseph Mannard is joining us on the Busboys stage to celebrate the release of his book and share about the life and legacy of Ann Gertrude Wightt. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and Mannard will be signing following the program.

This event is free and open to all. Our program begins at 6:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of THE TWO WORLDS OF ANN GERTRUDE WIGHTT will be available for purchase before and after the event. Please note that this event is in person and will not be livestreamed. 

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Joseph Mannard received his MA in U.S. History from the University of South Florida, Tampa, and his PhD in U.S. History from the University of Maryland, College Park. Since 1989, he has been a member of the History Department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. There he regularly teaches courses on Thought and Culture in Early America, The Early American Republic, American Women, and Fear of Conspiracy in U.S. History. Most of his published research has focused on American Catholics, especially women religious, prior to the U.S. Civil War. The Catholic Press Association has twice (2018 and 2021) received the award for the best scholarly article in American Catholic History from the Catholic Press Association. The Two Worlds of Ann Gertrude Wightt (2025) is his first book.

BOOK DETAILS

The Two Worlds of Ann Gertrude Wightt

How a Runaway Nun Became a Grand Lady of Washington, DC, Society

By Joseph Mannard

October 1, 2025 | Paperback, 296 pages, $24.95

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