Mary Jordan Horner Saunders has been actively involved in a broad range of civic and philanthropic pursuits with a particular focus on national defense, historic preservation, higher education, health care and the arts.  She was recognized for her contributions to the humanities in 2008 when she and her husband, Thomas A. Saunders III were named the first joint recipients of the National Humanities Medal, presented by President George W. Bush.

Mrs. Saunders has served on the Board of Trustees for the Marine Corps University Foundation for 25 years.  She was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Interior to the Jamestown 400th Commemoration Commission which commemorated the 400th anniversary of the first permanent settlement at Jamestown. Mrs. Saunders was also appointed, by the Governor of Virginia, to serve on the Board of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Mrs. Saunders, with her husband, was awarded the 2018 Ballinger Award for Historic Preservation. She served as a Trustee and Chairman of the Development and External Affairs Committee of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System.  Mrs. Saunders has been actively involved with a number of other organizations including: the School of American Ballet, the Museum of the City of New York, Robert E. Lee Foundation, Bermuda Biological Station for Research, Old Westbury Gardens, the Churchill School and Grosvenor Neighborhood House in NYC.

In 1995, Mrs. Saunders designed and executed “Dinner on the Lawn,” the first event held on the University of Virginia lawn since the Thomas Jefferson era. Over 1000 guests attended the dinner which launched the University’s $1.5 billion Capital Campaign Kick-Off, and the event model remains widely-emulated by universities across the country.

She served as Chairman of the Virginia Military Institute’s “Parade Ground Dinner” in 2000, transforming the Grounds into a military bivouac.  Mrs. Saunders has the unique honor of receiving two dress parades: one at the United States Marine Corps Headquarters at “Eight and I” in Washington D.C., the other by the Corps of Cadets, at the Virginia Military Institute with a “fly over” of U.S. Airforce-F16s.

Mrs. Saunders is the daughter of the late Major General Matthew C. Horner, USMC and Mrs. Rebecca J. Horner. Mrs. Saunders has two children, Calvert Moore and Taz Saunders. She has four grandchildren, Carter Moore Leachman, George and Schuyler Moore and Fin Saunders.  Mrs. Saunders resides in Palm Beach, Florida.