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The Ellen Payne Odom Genealogy Library Family Tree
The Family Tree - April/May 2005
New York Tartan Day


The National Tartan Day New York Committee, Inc., the organizing body for New York City’s annual Tartan Day Parade, is delighted to announce that New York Times best-selling and award-winning author, movie director, screenplay writer and proud American-Scot, Randall Wallace, will be New York City’s Tartan Day Parade Grand Marshal in 2005.

Randall Wallace, in accepting the honored position of New York City’s 2005 Tartan Day Parade Grand Marshal, said: “Americans of Scottish descent have given us their passion in literature, politics, industry, science, and in their fervent defense of liberty. I am deeply honored to celebrate this spirit as Grand Marshal of the 2005 Tartan Day Parade, especially in this year that marks the 700th anniversary of the sacrifice of William Wallace in the name of freedom.”

The New York City Tartan Day Parade will take place at 2:00pm on Saturday, April 2nd, 2005. The parade steps-off at West 45th Street, marching north on the Avenue of the Americas, otherwise known as 6th Avenue to 58th Street. Nearly 30 pipe bands from three countries and nine states will march in the 7th annual Scottish-American parade.

Randall Wallace has brought to page and screen numerous epic tales of love and war showcasing heroes admired for their determination loyalty, and bravery. None of these is better known than Braveheart, for which he received Golden Globe and Oscar nominations and won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Having previously enjoyed literary success with novels as Blood of the Lamb and Where Angels Watch, the success of Braveheart spurred Wallace, a self-described “warrior poet”, to make his directorial debut in 1998 with The Man In the Iron Mask. Then, in 2001 he wrote the New York Times best-selling novel and the original screenplay for Pearl Harbor. 2002 saw Wallace adapting, producing and directing the critically acclaimed film We Were Soldiers, starring Mel Gibson. In tribute to the fallen soldiers of the Vietnam war, he co-wrote the haunting hymn, Mansions for the Lord, for the film’s credit sequence. The hymn has gained widespread use at military funerals and memorial services, including President Ronald Reagan’s state funeral.

Next on the agenda for Wallace is the publishing of Love and Honor, the epic novel of an American secret agent’s treacherous journey into the court of Imperial Russia’s Catherine the Great. Wallace’s company Wheelhouse Entertainment will produce the film adaptation, with Angelina Jolie set to play the role of Catherine.

Wallace is the founder of Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity, which is working towards the elimination of substandard housing for the poor worldwide. Thus far, the organization has helped build more that 150 homes in Los Angeles, New York City, Virginia, Nepal, South Africa, Mexico, Egypt and Armenia.

The National Tartan Day New York Committee, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, consists of representatives from the following societies: The Saint Andrew’s Society of the State of New York, The New York Caledonian Club, The American-Scottish Foundation, Inc. and Clan Campbell. For additional information regarding the parade or the members of NTDNYC, Inc., please visit www.tartanweek.com.


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