Origin of the SAR

In 1876, there were many celebrations to commemorate the centennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. As part of this patriotic fervor, a group of men in the San Francisco, California, area who were descendants of patriots involved in the American Revolution, formed an organization called the Sons of Revolutionary Sires. Their objective was to have a fraternal and civic society to salute those men and women who pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the battle for independence from Great Britain. The Sons of Revolutionary Sires desired to keep alive their ancestors’ story of patriotism and courage in the belief that it is a universal one of man’s struggle against tyranny - a story which would inspire and sustain succeeding generations when they would have to defend and extend our freedoms.


Out of the Sons of Revolutionary Sires grew the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, which was organized on April 30, 1889, the one hundredth anniversary of the inauguration of George Washington as our nation’s first president. We have used the acronym SAR to identify ourselves for over one hundred years. The SAR was conceived as a fraternal and civic society composed of lineal descendants of the patriots who wintered at Valley Forge, signed the Declaration of Independence, fought in the battles of the American Revolution, served in the Continental Congress, or otherwise supported the cause of American Independence. The National Society was chartered by an Act of the United States Congress on June 9, 1906. The charter was signed by President Theodore Roosevelt, who was also a member of the Empire State Society, SAR. The charter authorizes the granting of charters to societies of the various states and territories and authorizes the state-level societies to charter chapters within their borders. Federal Legislation then established a federal charter for the National Society, SAR.

 

US Presidents who have been Sons of the American

Revolution Members


The SAR is proud of its compatriot presidents of the United States. We honor these SAR members who used their position as president to build a better America. Each remembered the founding of this great nation and the role of his Revolutionary War ancestor in making America the beacon of liberty and justice of all.


Three U.S. presidents, George Washington, James Monroe, and Andrew Jackson, actually served during the Revolutionary War.


Six U.S. presidents were real sons of Revolutionary War patriots. These men included John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Franklin Pierce.


Five U.S. presidents were the grandsons of Revolutionary War patriots, including James Knox Polk, Millard Fillmore, Abraham Lincoln, Chester A. Arthur, and Grover Cleveland.
President James A. Garfield was the great-grandson of a Revolutionary War patriot, while President Richard M. Nixon was the great-great-grandson of a patriot.

  To date, there have been sixteen presidents of the United States who were also SAR members. The Winter 2001 issue of the SAR Magazine featured these U.S. presidents with details of their backgrounds, including information about their Revolutionary War ancestors.

Compatriot Presidents of the United States

Benjamin Harrison
Dwight David Eisenhower
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
George Herbert Walker Bush
George Walker Bush
Gerald Rudolph Ford
Harry S. Truman
Herbert Clark Hoover
James Earl Carter, Jr
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr
Lyndon Baines Johnson
Rutherford Birchard Hayes
Theodore Roosevelt
Warren Gamaliel Harding
William Howard Taft
William McKinley, Jr.

 

 

 

President
 
Stacey McCarver
Vice President
  Rick Reese, III
Secretary & Chancellor
  Eric Thorstenberg
Treasurer
  Allen Finley
Registrar
  Glenn Kirk
Sergeant-at-Arms
  Tim Dunn
Chaplain
  Stephen (Steve) Morrison
Historian/Librarian
  Ron Redner
Publication Editor
  Rick Reese III
Communications Director
  Rick Reese Jr
Quartermaster
  Allen Finley
Genealogist
  Jaime Ruff


250th Anniversary & Liberty Tree
Ron Redner
Americanism

Ron Redner and BOM members
Awards
Ron Redner, Al Finley, Mark Anthony
Brochure Contest
Stacey McCarver
Color Guard
John Wassell.
Communication
Rick Reese Jr.
Education
Stacey McCarver.
Flag Respect
Craig Benton

JROTC
Rick Reese Jr.
Knight Essay Contest
Stacey McCarver
Poster Contest
Stacey McCarver
Revolutionary Graves
Steve Morrison
SAR/DAR/C.A.R.
Rick Reese Jr.
Eagle Scout
Jaime Ruff
Speakers Bureau
Rick Reese Jr.
Veterans
Ed Klaas


Stacey McCarver - 2023-2025
Mark Anthony
- 2022-2023
Allen R. Finley
- 2020-2022
Ron Redner
- 2018 - 2020
Rick Reese Jr. - 2016 - 2018
Bill Kabel - 2015 - 2016
Bill Lusk - 2014 - 2015
Walt Woliver - 2013 - 2014
Paul Prescott - 2012 - 2013
Allen Greenly - 2011 - 2012
Carl Bhame - 2010 - 2011
Bob Shaw - 2009 - 2010
James McIntire - 2008 - 2009


Carl Tanner - 2007 - 2008
Von Starkey
- 2006 - 2007
Robert A. Sapp
- 2004 - 2006
L. Glynn Acree, III - 2003 - 2004
Scott A. Ray - 2002 - 2003
George E. Thurmond - 2001 - 2002
Robert W. Bauchspies - 2000 - 2001
Douglas H. Stansberry - 1999 - 2000
Larry Guzy - 1998 - 1999
Roger G. Lamb, Jr. - 1997 - 1998
Edgar B. Sterrett, Jr - 1996 - 1997
Merril Law - 1995 - 1996
Frank Darwin - 1994 -1995



Founders:  Frank H. Darwin Jr. & Edgar. B Sterrett, Jr.

First Year Officers:

• Frank H. Darwin Jr., President
• Merril Law, Vice President
• Claude H. Snow Jr., Secretary
• Edgar B. Sterrett Jr , Treasurer
• Douglas Stansberry, Chaplain
• C. Kenneth Meeker, Registrar
• Eric A. Szweda, Chancellor
• Kenneth L. Howell, Sergeant-at-Arms

 

Frank H. Darwin Jr.

 

Edgar. B Sterrett Jr.




Charter Members:
Robert V. Blackwell
John I. Bruno
Ian Campbell, Jr.
Colin R. Campbell
Frank H. Darwin, Jr.
Charles R. Darwin
James K. Darwin
Jay F. Darwin
Robert A. Griffith
Edward L. Hereford
James S. Holmes, Jr.
James S. Holmes, III
Kenneth L. Howell
Merril Law
C. Kenneth Meeker
C. Phillip Meyer
Aubrey R. Morris
Paul Grady Moss, Jr.
Claude Snow
Douglas Stansberry
Edgar B. Sterrett, Jr.
Eric Szweda
Eric Thorstenberg

 

A message from Edgar. B Sterrett, Jr.

"Frank Darwin and I, both members of the Atlanta Chapter and both living in North Fulton County, were the originators of the idea for a new SAR chapter in the Roswell/Alpharetta area. The first discussion about a new chapter , and our first planning meeting, was at the Senior Enriched Living Center in Alpharetta. Both Frank and I were attending a class on genealogy at the center that Frank's wife, Anne, was teaching. Over lunch, our thoughts turned to the SAR and the possible need for a new chapter in the northern Metro area. We decided that a new chapter should be started in North Fulton, so efforts were begun."

"We both came up with some names of prospects and we both started doing some phoning to invite those on our lists to a meeting to discuss the prospective chapter.The first meeting was held at the Roswell Methodist Church on February 12, 1994. If my memory serves correctly, there were about 10 people in attendance at that first meeting, including the then GASSAR state president Colonel Robert Galer. Everybody at the meeting was in favor of starting a new chapter, and Aubrey Morris suggested we name the new chapter the Piedmont Chapter. Aubrey's suggestion was accepted and so the chapter was named. We also had a discussion on when the chapter meetings should be held and it was decided that we should meet early on a Saturday morning in order to accommodate the greatest number of people, especially those who worked during the week. At that time the Atlanta Chapter was meeting at noon on Tuesday at a restaurant at the Peachtree DeKalb Airport which meant few members, who were working, could attend the meetings and we wanted very much to avoid that problem and thus out meeting time was established for Saturday mornings. Everybody in attendance that day was assigned the responsibility to talk to the prospective members on our list. Frank and I put mailings together to spread the word, and Anne acted as genealogist/registrar to help prospective members who needed assistance with their applications. An organizational meeting was scheduled for March 7, 1994 and GASSAR President Bob Galer presented the charter. Eighteen charter members were in attendance."

"The first chapter anniversary meeting was celebrated on February 20, 1995, at which time new officers were installed, and Frank and I were awarded the Silver Good Citizenship Medal."

 


 

 

 



past and current issues of our Newsletter

Refer to the member directory for additional contact information. A Chapter member in good standing can update his entry
in the Member Directory or request a copy of the
Directory at a monthly meeting

Information contained in Links not associated with the Piedmont Chapter are provided for informational purposes only, and there is no express
or implied endorsementor recommendation by the Piedmont Chapter or the Sons of the American Revolution of any products or information so reflected.

contact webmaster

The Georgia Society's Newsletter Martha Stewart Bulloch Chapter of the DAR Children of the American Revolution Get Directions to our meeting site from wherever you are