Honoring the Life and Work of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor,
the First Woman Appointed to the United States Supreme Court
Featuring
Laura Dowling
Chef John Moeller
Chef John Moeller
White House Florist
2009 - 2015
Chef John Moeller
Chef John Moeller
Chef John Moeller
White House Chef
1992 – 2005
Guest Moderator
Chef Mark Tarbell
The James Beard Foundation nominated Tarbell for Best Chef Southwest. He is a two-time inductee to The Arizona Hall of Culinary Fame, and his restaurants have earned more than 50 Best Of city and industry awards, including a Best Restaurant from Food and Wine magazine. Tarbell's frequent television and radio appearances include winning Iron Chef America on The Food Network.
About
Sandra Day O'Connor Institute For American Democracy
O'Connor Institute Ladies of the Court
O'Connor Institute Ladies of the Court
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court in 1981, founded the O’Connor Institute in 2009 following her retirement. The non-partisan nonprofit organization continues Justice O’Connor’s distinguished legacy and lifetime work to advance civics education, civic engagement and civil discourse.
O'Connor Institute Ladies of the Court
O'Connor Institute Ladies of the Court
O'Connor Institute Ladies of the Court
The Ladies of the Court are the Women's Auxiliary Board of the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute For American Democracy.
These dedicated members of the community support the O'Connor Institute throughout the year and honor Justice O'Connor each year through the Legacy Luncheon.
2020 Legacy Luncheon
Susan Page & Barbara Pierce Bush
Under the direction of Luncheon Co-Chairs Jan Lewis and Carolyn O’Malley and the Ladies of the Court, the Women’s Board of the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute For American Democracy, the virtual Legacy Luncheon “Home for the Holidays” premiered Friday, December 18, 2020 and was deemed a heartwarming success.
USA Today political editor Susan Page, author of The Matriarch, the biography of Barbara Bush was the keynote speaker along with Barbara Pierce Bush, the granddaughter and namesake of the late memorable First Lady.
2019 Legacy Luncheon
Dr. Jill Biden
The Ladies of the Court, the Women’s Board of the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute hosted the annual Legacy Luncheon Friday, May 10, 2019 at the Arizona Biltmore. Following the success of Laura Bush for last year’s annual event, former Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden spoke of her new book Where the Light Enters, Building a Family, Discovering Myself. The Legacy Luncheon honors Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court.
2018 Legacy Luncheon
Laura Bush
Mrs. Laura Bush, Former First Lady of the United States, was the featured speaker at the inaugural Legacy Luncheon, Wednesday, April 25, 2018. Mrs. Bush reflected on her life and discussed her memoir, # 1 New York Times best seller, Spoken from the Heart.
The annual Legacy Luncheon honors the life and work of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court.
The luncheon benefited two charitable organizations, the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute and Hospice of the Valley. Co-Chairs for the 2018 Legacy Luncheon were Gena Bonsall and Penny Gunning. Lin Sue Cooney, former NBC 12 News anchor, served as mistress of ceremonies and moderated a conversation with Mrs. Bush following her remarks.
Like Sandra Day O’Connor, who was raised in Arizona on her family’s Lazy B Ranch, Mrs. Bush stated in her book, “I was born upon the prairie, where the wind blew free, and there was nothing to break the light of the sun. I was born where there were no enclosures, and where everything drew a free breath.” In her memoir, she also describes life as First Lady and the post-9/11 White House, when anthrax attacks cut off the mail and she was no longer permitted to take strolls outside the gates. Polled by The Gallup Organization as one of the most popular First Ladies, Mrs. Bush, with a master’s degree in library science and a former librarian, helped advance national and global concerns during her tenure, including encouraging education and literacy worldwide