Canary Islanders Heritage Society of Louisiana

Saturday, May 2nd - 11:00 AM

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CIHSL Sping Quarterly Meeting

East Baton Rouge Parish Library Bluebonnet Branch

9200 Bluebonnet Blvd.

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Our speaker will be Mr. Dennis Dale.

 

Dennis Dale is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution through the George Washington Chapter in New Orleans. A native New Orleanian, he and his wife of 40 years raised two children and now enjoy life as proud grandparents of three. He spent most of his professional life in the IT industry and was fortunate to retire early. With newfound time on his hands, he turned to interests that had long been present but never fully pursued—art, architecture, and history. Living in a city layered with colonial, European, and American influences, he realized he had spent years passing remarkable places without fully understanding their stories. Determined to change that, he became a licensed tour guide.

 

After nearly a year of intensive study, Dennis began leading walking tours through the French Quarter and the Garden District, sharing the city’s rich narrative—from its French founding and Spanish rule to American expansion and enduring resilience—while bringing to life the people who shaped New Orleans. Following several successful years as a guide, he joined Adventures in New Orleans Tours as the Sales and Marketing Manager, helping visitors discover the culture, architecture, and history that make New Orleans and the surrounding region unique. During this time, Dennis met Jeff Nolan and Jerry Schroeder of the SAR while planning tours for the organization’s 2027 Congress. In an early meeting, they asked a simple but life-changing question: Had he ever researched his own family’s role in the Revolutionary era?

 

That question launched Dennis on a personal journey of discovery. Through genealogical research, he learned he is a direct descendant of Juan Antonio Mendoza, an Isleños soldier who served under Bernardo de Gálvez in the fixed infantry regiment that fought British forces along the Gulf Coast. Uncovering this connection proved deeply meaningful, linking Dennis’s lifelong passion for history directly to his own family story and strengthening his commitment to preserving and sharing the past with others.

 

Dennis will be presenting a video documentary he created on geopolitics from the Seven Years war through the War of 1812 with a focus on the American Revolution.