The King
Mr. Frederick Wilkinson Bromberg
Reigning over this year’s 57th Beaux Arts Krewe Ball is his Royal Highness, Frederick Wilkinson Bromberg. King Frederick, or “Ricky” as he is known to his royal subjects is a native of Birmingham and the son of Frank Hardy Bromberg, Jr. and Lella Clayton Bromberg. His Majesty has been a member of the Krewe for 26 years. Both King Frederick’s father as well as his sister, Lella Bromberg Wilbanks, are former Monarchs of the Beaux Arts Krewe Ball. King Frederick attended Mountain Brook Elementary and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. He graduated high school from The Altamont School. He continued his education at The University of Alabama where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and received a Bachelor of Science Degree with honors in Business Administration.
After graduation, he lived in New York City where he worked for Macy’s New York in their highly regarded Executive Training Program. Upon Ricky’s return to Birmingham, he began work full time for Bromberg & Company, Inc. which holds the distinction as being Alabama’s oldest business firm established in 1836, as well as being the oldest family-owned retailer of any kind in the United States. King Frederick married Lady Nancy Catherine Beaird of Mountain Brook in 1987. After serving a number of roles at the company, in 1998, he became the sixth generation President of Bromberg’s. His Majesty and Lady Nancy’s son, Frederick Wilkinson Bromberg, Jr.and his wife Kathrine Reeves Bromberg have one daughter, Lella Elizabeth Bromberg, who affectionately refers to her grandparents as “Poppie” and “Fancy.”
King Frederick has had an active professional and civic life. He is the Past Chairman of the Alabama Retail Association and currently serves as a Trustee of its Worker’s Comp Insurance program. He has served as a director of the American Gem Society and is a past Chairman of the Retail Jewelers Research Group. He is a past director for Alabama Goodwill Industries, Birmingham Area Council Boy Scouts of America, and is a member of the University of Alabama President’s Cabinet. He is Past President of the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce and currently serves as director and treasurer of the downtown City Action Partnership (CAP) program. He is a recipient of the American Gem Society’s Triple Zero Award as well as a top five Finalist for the National Retail Federation’s America’s Retail Champion Award. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Birmingham as well as the Country Club of Birmingham.
Ricky and Nancy are active members of the Cathedral Church of the Advent where he has served several terms on its Vestry; Nancy has served as President of the women of the church, as well as on the Vestry. In their free time, King Frederick and Lady Nancy enjoy spending weekends with friends and family at their house at Smith Lake.
King Frederick thanks the Beaux Arts Krewe for the privilege to serve as their 57th king. It is an honor to share the throne with Queen Mary Evelyn. The Royal family thanks the many volunteers who work to make this special evening possible and for the Krewe’s continued support to the Birmingham Museum of Art.
The Queen
Mary Evelyn Coleman
Mary Evelyn is honored to represent the Beaux Arts Krewe in its endeavor to support the Birmingham Museum of Art as their 2024 Ball Queen. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Nelson Coleman and older sister to Ann Oliver Coleman. Queen Mary Evelyn is currently attending Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina where she is pursuing a degree in Art History and Education as a Wofford Merit Scholar. She recently returned from a semester abroad at The American College of the Mediterranean in Aix-en-Provence, France where she studied the works of European Masters. Naturally, the Krewe’s support of the European Art Collection at the Birmingham Museum of Art is dear to her heart.
While growing up in Birmingham, Mary Evelyn attended Mountain Brook High School. She was a member of the National Honor Society, Latin Honor Society, Key Club, Yearbook Staff and a recipient of the Spartan Crest Award. During her high school years, she found a special place at the YWCA as an After-School Enrichment Program Tutor. Her senior year, she served as the Director of the YWCA’s Fashion with Compassion Event, a partnership with Prom Palooza that collects donated formal gowns for all high school girls in need of dresses. She was also a regular volunteer at My Sister’s Closet, the YWCA need-based retail shop.
A lifelong member of the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Mary Evelyn was actively involved in Youth Group and considers the Advent one of her most treasured blessings. Growing up, she spent most of her summers at Camp Merrie-Woode in Cashiers, North Carolina and has continued her love of the outdoors as a Merrie-Wood camp counselor.
Mary Evelyn is currently a member of Kappa Delta Sorority at Wofford where she has served as Community Service Officer as well as Marketing Executive Officer.
Queen Mary Evelyn first participated in the festivities of the Mardi Gras season as a Page in the 2014 Beaux Art Krewe Ball and is delighted to be back at Boutwell tonight to celebrate with the revelers and her Royal Court. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Dansby Evans, of Butler, Alabama and Mrs. and the late Mr. Algernon Sidney Coleman, Jr. of Montgomery, Alabama. Mary Evelyn is looking forward to a fun-filled weekend with King Frederick and Lady Nancy, the distinguished gentlemen of the Krewe, and her beloved friends and family.