History

It was a dark and stormy night at the Tune Inn, October 1982. A group of transplanted Southerners yearned for something a little more hospitable that reminded them of home, while sharing their fondness for good food and fun with the rest of the DC community. They broke out the fried chicken, iced down some beer, spun some records and threw a party.

The first Taste of the South (TOTS) party was held in April 1983 and featured 12 states with tickets selling for just $15. The lines were all the way around the block when they opened the doors to the Pension Building on that Tuesday night. Charlie Grizzle, Chair of the first TOTS, remembers being "completely unprepared for the response." The next year, things were a little more organized. Missouri joined the ranks and completed the group of 13 states that make up Taste of the South today. The following year, Chair Claire Miller Jazwick moved the party to the Organization of American States building. With decorations of tropical flowers left over from a Latin American dinner the evening before and two hundred cases of beer in the building's center fountain, the overall effect was stunning.

Whether it was the two-stepping on the clay tile roof or the forty gallons of oyster juice that spilled, TOTS was not invited back to the facility. For the next two years, TOTS was held at the National Press Club, followed by two years in residence at the Departmental Auditorium. The party’s reputation in Washington, and throughout the South, was established under the direction of Committee Chairs Ownie McBride Smolko (1985), Stan Galanski (1986), Suzanne Respess (1987), and Elliott Waddell (1988).

In 1989, the party was back at the Press Club for one final year with Kay Kinney as Chair. It returned to the Pension Building, by then known as the National Building Museum, in 1990; where it remained through 1995 under the direction of Chairs Toby McGregor Lane (1990), Stokes Liles (1991), Mark Dunham (1992), Shawn Maris O'Mara (1993), Janee Lambert Bonner (1994), and Michael Wascom (1995).

In 1996 Taste of the South moved to Historic Hangar #7 at Washington National Airport under the direction of Chair J. Marsh McLawhorn and Vice Chair Becky Fontaine Daugherty, who also introduced the inaugural Congressional Host Committee. Cornelia Horner continued the party at Historic Hanger #7 in 1997, after which Chair Lesley Gilbert (1998) changed the venue to the newly opened Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. In 1999, Lee Sanders brought the event back to the Historic Hangar #7 and added a Congressional Reception the week before the big party. In 2000, Lani Gerst was Chair and continued the Historic Hangar #7 tradition. For the first time, TOTS raised over $100,000 for charity. In 2001, Missy Thomas held the party for a third year at the Hangar, again contributed more than $100,000 to charity and oversaw a new tradition – the addition of a local celebrated chef featured in the VIP suite.

In 2002, Chair Julie Hooks and her committee faced with challenges by a post September 11th world, moved the 2002 TOTS to DAR Constitution Hall and raised a record amount for charity. Shayne Gill (still notorious for his famous VIP suite raffle announcements of 2001) chaired the 2003 party at DAR, raised over $190,000 for the charity and hosted a record attendance. Jeff Miller kept the party at DAR for a third year, breaking every previous record by raising over $260,000 for the charities. Jeff and his committee also introduced the “Dixie Fund” for the first time, raising money for small charities in every one of the southern states.

2005 was another record-breaking year, under Chairman Cameron Gilreath’s administration, with TOTS sending $400,000 to charities! And, because of new record attendance levels, the committee was forced to move the gala to a larger venue, the DC Armory building. Of course, when you move to a new location, there is always a period of adjustment. The VIP Suite was under a tent in the parking lot of the Armory – and took everyone back in time to the Civil War and Southern Plantations. Unfortunately, a monsoon hit DC that Saturday evening, and the VIP tent was literally ‘Gone With The Wind.’

Stephanie Leger Short, who chaired the committee in 2006, kept the event once again at the Armory and contributed an amazing $350,000 to charities. Not only was Stephanie able to juggle a committee of 44 and plan a fabulous event, she also gave birth to baby boy in March, just two months prior to the May gala!

Taste of the South celebrated ‘25 Years of Tradition’ in 2007, and Chairman Stormie Janzen not only led the committee to give $300,000 back to the community for the organization’s anniversary, she hosted a silver-class event! Everyone in attendance couldn’t say enough about the state tables and the musical entertainment of Burnt Sienna.

Washington is a fiercely partisan political town, so it bears mentioning that the TOTS committee has been able to maintain a decidedly non-partisan attitude throughout its history.

In closing, no history of the Committee would be complete without recalling the great efforts which have been undertaken to fund worthwhile charitable initiatives throughout the South. When the first party was held, it constituted a real roll of the dice. Today, it is a committed and focused committee of 44 southerners who make it their annual duty to share a taste of the south with Washington, DC and give something back to states they will always call home.