Mary Buckingham Lipsey was born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Fairfax County, Virginia. She received a B.A. in History and Sociology from Mary Washington College and a Masters in Middle School Education from Virginia Tech. In June 2003, Mary retired after teaching seventh grade American History for almost thirty years.

Mary was a volunteer docent at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History for forty years and at the National Archives for sixteen years. She was appointed to the Fairfax County History Commission and retired after sixteen years. Currently, she remains an advisor to the History Commission. Her interest in local history has found an outlet through writing articles and speaking to community groups. She became interested in aviation when her elementary school teacher wheeled a television into the classroom to watch astronaut Alan Shephard’s first flight. During her teaching career, Mary was frustrated by how little women’s history was included in the curriculum. Mary wrote the book Almost Forgotten Women: Yesterday’s Headliners to educate persons of all ages about the accomplishments of women from the past and illustrate the women’s struggle for equality.

Mary’s published works:
co-author of Braddock’s True Gold- 20th Century Life in the Heart of Fairfax County (2006)
author of A Christmas Flight: Aviation Pioneer, Dr. William Christmas (2013)
author of Aviation:From Curiosity To Reality (2018)
author of Almost Forgotten Women: Yesterday’s Headlines (2020)
author of The ABCs of Flying (2024)

First Ladies
Covers notable First Ladies, especially Mmes. Washington, Hayes, Cleveland, and the 2nd Mrs. Wilson.

Almost Forgotten Women: Yesterday’s Headliners
Chronicles the achievements of women between 1840 and 1940 whose stories made the newspapers but are now almost lost to history.

Escaping Detection
Looks at women who participated actively but secretly in the Civil War, as spies and as soldiers.

Rescue of Mount Vernon
Chronicles the Washington family estate and its restoration by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association.

Leading Ladies of the Civil War
(Choose one of the four separate presentations below.)
Mrs. Lincoln
Illuminates the life of Mary Todd Lincoln, a tragic and controversial figure.
– OR –
Mrs. Lee
Describes Mary Anna Custis (Mrs. Robert E.) Lee, including her time at Ravensworth near Burke.
– OR –
Mrs. Grant and Mrs. Davis
Tells of Julia Dent Grant & Varina Davis, First Ladies of the United States & Confederate States.
– OR –
Clara Barton
Tells the story of Clara Barton, Civil War nurse and founder of the American National Red Cross.

Aviation Pioneer Dr. William Christmas
Introduces the inventor and pilot, whose 1908 flight in Fairfax Station made him the third American to fly.

This Old House
Introduces past and present historic homes of the 19th century across Springfield, Annandale, and Burke.

The Burke Airport
Tells of Burke’s selection for Washington’s international airport and the community’s fight for survival.

Anna Maria Fitzhugh of Ravensworth
Reflects on this remarkable 19th-century woman, owner of vast properties in Fairfax & Stafford Counties.

Honoring the Civil War Dead
Describes the founding of national and community cemeteries for those who served in the Civil War.

Women at War—The Hidden Army
Discusses how, during the First World War, women mobilized to take the jobs that the soldiers left behind.

The Pathway to Women’s Suffrage
Tells of how women have sought equality and especially the right to vote since the 1848 women’s rights convention at Seneca Falls, New York.

African American Cemeteries of Fairfax County
Surveys some of the historic Black burial grounds across the county and the stories of their associated families/communities.

Frances Perkins
Discusses the career of the first female Presidential Cabinet member, Pres. Franklin Roosevelt’s Secretary of Labor.

The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping
Recounts the abduction of the 20-month-old son of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, which prompted intense media coverage and changes to federal kidnapping law.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
Discusses the 1911 fire in Greenwich Village that killed 146 garment workers, galvanizing reforms in occupational safety and workers’ rights.

Ladies of the American Revolution
The presentation includes stories of women of all colors, education, and status who fought for the colonists’ independence from Britain.

Mrs. Lincoln’s Lawyer, Myra Bradwell
The presentation describes the lives of both women and how their friendship evolved such that Mrs. Bradwell helped secure the release of Mrs. Lincoln from an asylum.

Dr. Mudd
Dr. Samuel Mudd tended to John Wilkes Booth’s broken leg after Booth shot President Lincoln. Learn about his conviction as a conspirator and more details as Lincoln’s assassination is reviewed.

The Unsinkable Titanic
On April 15, 1912, the “Unsinkable “ Titanic sank with estimates of 1,496 deaths and 712 survivors. Learn why the ship sank and the stories of survivors. Understand what changes were made to future ships after the Titanic sank.