Marymount University Associate Professor of History Dr. Cassandra Good has been named one of five finalists for the 2024 George Washington Prize for her recent book, “First Family: George Washington’s Heirs and the Making of America.”
This prestigious annual award recognizes the year’s finest works that advance a broader public understanding of early American history. It celebrates outstanding contributions to the study of the American Founding Era while emphasizing the importance of historical narratives illuminating the nation’s beginnings.
One of the nation’s most significant literary awards, the George Washington Prize was created by George Washington’s Mount Vernon, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and Washington College. Each year since its creation in 2005, an independent jury evaluates 50 to 100 books published in the previous year for consideration.
This year’s winner will be announced at a gala dinner at Mount Vernon on September 21, 2024, and will receive a $50,000 prize.
Dr. Good’s book, “First Family: George Washington’s Heirs and the Making of America,” delves into the lives of George Washington’s step-grandchildren, the Custises. Her meticulously researched narrative weaves the personal and political together, shedding light on a family whose story mirrors America’s journey through its first century. The Custis family, often overshadowed in historical accounts, comes to life through Dr. Good’s work, offering readers a unique perspective on the nation’s evolution from revolutionary ideals to the complex realities of governance, liberty and slavery.
“I am truly honored to be nominated for the George Washington Prize alongside four other excellent books on the founding era,” Dr. Good said. “So much of the research and writing of ‘First Family’ took place at Mount Vernon with the support of its staff, so it’s particularly special to have my work honored there.”
Dr. Good is a historian and writer who has taught at Marymount, George Washington University and University of Mary Washington. She also has experience at the Smithsonian Institute and various historic sites where she has worked to make history accessible and engaging to a broad audience. She holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Pennsylvania.
