Collectors Asked to Submit Pins, Brooches for Special Albright Exhibit

When entrenched in tough international negotiations, former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright chose to wear pins to subtly communicate with foreign diplomats.

Albright's diverse collection of 200 pins has yielded a book titled Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomats Jewel Box (HarperCollins, 2009) and a traveling pin exhibit. In honor of her love of pins, The University of Southern Mississippi College of Arts and Letters and the Historic Hattiesburg Downtown Association are inviting pin and brooch collectors to submit their jewelry to a private pin exhibit in the Train Depot on Oct. 19.

“We're collecting about 40 or 50 pins and anyone who collects wonderful pins or brooches that have some special meaning can participate,” said Betsy Rowell, executive director of the Historic Hattiesburg Downtown Association. “How fun would it be to have your pin and personal story displayed for Madeleine Albright and others to read?”

The exhibit will be unveiled following Albright's speech titled “The Future of NATO.” The pins will be exhibited at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19 in the Train Depot. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is presented in conjunction the second biennial Lt. John H. Dale Sr. Distinguished Lecture Series.

To have your jewelry showcased in this exhibit, submit a pin and a brief paragraph about the significance of the pin to rowell@downtownhattiesburg.orgor call 601.583.4329 for more information.