Rosamond Randall Beirne

Ninth Regent (1958-1968)

Rosamond Beirne was born in Annapolis, Maryland, on March 8, 1894, to attorney Daniel Richard Randall and Elizabeth Harding. In November 1919, she married Francis Foulke Beirne, an editor at the Baltimore Sun.

Beirne had previous experience in the field of preservation from serving on the boards of the Hammond-Harwood House in Annapolis, the Society for the Preservation of Maryland Antiquities, and the Maryland Historical Society. After her appointment as Vice Regent in 1948, she worked on several committees that reflected her interests, including the Research and Records Committee and the Special Lands Committee. As chair of the One Hundredth Anniversary Committee, charged with organizing the celebration for the MVLA’s centennial, she facilitated publication of a definitive history of the Association, Mount Vernon: The Story of a Shrine by Gerald W. Johnson.

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The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association's Regent serves as the head of the board. Each woman is action-oriented and works to preserve and restore George Washington's Mount Vernon.

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The defining feature of Beirne’s tenure as Regent was her involvement in Operation Overview, a campaign to protect the Maryland shoreline across from Mount Vernon from commercial development. She was instrumental in negotiating with federal and state officials and represented the MVLA at meetings with viewshed partners. As a trustee of the Accokeek Foundation, which stewards 200 acres of Piscataway Park, she helped preserve not only Mount Vernon’s view but also the natural landscape of her home state. Beirne was a charming hostess at a historic state dinner held at Mount Vernon with President Kennedy, First Lady Kennedy, and President Mohammad Ayub Khan of Pakistan.

Beirne was also deeply interested in the first president’s papers and advocated strongly for the MVLA to publish them in collaboration with the University of Virginia. Mount Vernon still provides support for this ongoing endeavor, which is officially titled The Papers of George Washington.

Throughout her life, Beirne retained a deep respect for national and local history. She authored two books on Maryland history and architecture as well as several articles for the Maryland Historical Magazine. A year after retiring as the MVLA’s Regent, she passed away suddenly on October 24, 1969, while attending the Association’s Council meetings. In a memorial written by her fellow Vice Regents, she was remembered as “one of its most beloved and valued members.”

President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy hosted their state dinner at Mount Vernon in 1961, making it the first dinner held outside of the White House. Mrs. Beirne presents a bust of George Washington to Ayub Khan, the President of Pakistan. MVLA.