By Ethan Shea

As you probably know, this past Monday was President’s Day, a national holiday falling on the third Monday of February. The holiday is meant to celebrate the birthdays of both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln’s birthday falls on the twelfth of February, while Washington’s is today, Feb. 22!

To commemorate the President’s 290th birthday, this week’s Cat in the Stax blog is all about George … well, not exactly. This blog will be about famous figures who share a name with the first U.S. President.

“A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” by Georges Seurat

One George worth mentioning is French painter Georges Seurat. The next Villanova Theatre production, Sunday in the Park with George, will be a musical inspired by the painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, the most famous work by Monsieur Seurat. Created by James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim, this play will be performed at the John and Joan Mullen Center beginning on April 13. You can read our recent blog on the current production, Chrysalis, here!

Another George who cannot be ignored by any library is George Eliot. Mary Ann Evans is best known as George Eliot, a pen name Evans used to garner respect as a woman writer amidst 19th century misogyny. Some of her most famous novels, including Middlemarch, Adam Bede and The Mill on the Floss can all be found here at Falvey!

George Washington … not the aforementioned president, but George Washington Carver, is another notable George. Carver is known for his contributions to agricultural science. Having been born an enslaved Black man in 19th century America, Carver overcame unimaginable oppression to become a Professor at Tuskegee University. Check out the book George Washington Carver: In His Own Words to learn more about his life, and you can find even more resources for Black History Month here.

It’s also worth mentioning that there are more than just books here at Falvey. There are more movies than anyone could watch, and one famous George is responsible for a number of them. George Lucas, a prominent mind behind the creation of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises is a George who also made his mark. The very first Star Wars film is currently held at Falvey, so start your Star Wars journey here!

Last but not least is everyone’s favorite fictional George. That’s right, even Curious George can be found here at Falvey! Check out this book on the history and cultural implications of this beloved children’s character.

Ethan Shea is a second-year graduate student in the English Department and Graduate Assistant at Villanova University.