FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Marc Mappen
October 12, 2009
Phone: 609-292-6062
New Jersey Historical Commission to Honor Individuals and Organizations Dedicated to Preserving the Heritage of the Garden State
TRENTON, NJ - The New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State, will present its 2009 history awards at its Conference on Saturday, November 21, 2009, at the Trenton War Memorial. The conference, titled "New Jersey and the Bill of Rights," will commemorate the 220th anniversary of our state's ratification of the Bill of Rights, the first state to do so.
The Commission's highest honor, the Richard J. Hughes Award, is given for lifetime achievement in the field of New Jersey history. The 2009 recipient is Gay LeCleire Taylor, Millville. She has been studying the rich history of glassmaking in New Jersey and the scholarship of glass in America for 37 years as curator of the Museum of American Glass at Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center. She has curated and organized 23 major exhibits and approximately 70 smaller ones. She has authored 19 exhibition catalogs and numerous articles. Gay has also lectured for glass scholars and enthusiasts throughout the county. She has taught glass conservation classes for the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, the University of Delaware's Conservation Care Training Program, and Winterthur Museum's Fall Institute. Her excellent oversight and management of the museum, her stewardship of the collection, her professional activities and respect from her peers, all laid the foundation to successfully attain accreditation by the American Association of Museums for the Museum of American Glass in 2000.
The Richard P. McCormick Prize of $1,500 is awarded to the author of an outstanding book on a topic of New Jersey History. The 2009 recipient is Dr. W. Barksdale Maynard. Dr Maynard has been a lecturer in the Department of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University. His book, Woodrow Wilson: Princeton to the Presidency (Yale University Press, 2008) carries the reader through key episodes of Wilson's remarkable career in academia and politics. More than any previous work, Maynard's Woodrow Wilson highlights continuities between Wilson's academic leadership and his political leadership.
In addition to the Hughes Award and the Driscoll Prize, the following individuals and organizations will receive Awards of Recognition from the Historical Commission:
The Twin Lights Historical Society is nominated for its role in preserving and restoring the Twin Lights of the Navesink Highlands, formerly known as the Navesink Light Attendants' Station, a lighthouse that was decommissioned in 1949 and sold to the town of Highlands. The Society was formed to help the Highlands Twin Lights Commission establish this historical site as a public park and as a museum dedicated to maritime history. The site hosts a wide variety of public programming. The Twin Lights Historical Society serves 100,000 visitors each year and maintains year-round visiting hours with free admission. The Society features three ongoing exhibitions, is responsible for the care of archival and artifact collections, and conducts the Millicent Mercer Johnson Lecture Series.
Col. (Ret.) Donald W. Kale, Lawrenceville, is nominated for his role as the curator of the Lawrenceville branch of the National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey and for his dedicated efforts in preserving the military history of citizen soldiers of New Jersey and increasing the public's awareness of that history. Col. Kale has been the curator of the NGMMNJ at Lawrenceville since the establishment of the facility in 1998. He continually involves the Lawrenceville Museum with the community by reaching out to local schools and speaking at clubs and associations. He has hosted many visits of school classes, scout groups, veterans' groups and historical associations. That the NGMMNJ is available to the public today is primarily because of the significant efforts and contributions that Col. Kale has made to the museum over the past ten years.
L. Dale Patterson's work as an activist, teacher and historian has been characterized by quiet dedication to craft and a genuine regard for the public. As archivist at the United Methodist Archives Center in Madison, his research into the history of the Methodist Church has brought the subject alive for students and researchers nationwide. A member of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference and the Society of American Archivists, he has served those organizations with distinction, volunteering for numerous committee assignments, speaking engagements, newsletter work, and other efforts; in 2008 he was elected caucus representative for NJ to the Mid Atlantic Regional Archives Conference. An active, committed, and well-regarded teacher, Professor Patterson has trained students at both the undergraduate and graduate level in archival and historical studies, using traditional and internet-based methods.
Walter Baker, historian and author, turned 101 years old on June 13, 2009. Walter, a former entomologist, retired from a long distinguished career in the public heath field in 1978 and turned his eye towards Montgomery Township historical activities. He served as recording secretary and chair of the Van Harlingen Historical Society's nominating committee for many years. He is currently an honorary trustee. In 1981, he began interviewing township people to ensure their stories were not lost to future generations. To date, he has guided over 23 oral histories through to publication. He wrote A History of the New Jersey State Village for Epileptics, an authoritative history of the forgotten village whose lands were recently purchased from the state by Montgomery Township. One of his many special interests is documenting and preserving local cemeteries. His book, Family Burying Grounds, Montgomery Township, Somerset County is currently in its second edition. Walter has encouraged others to get involved with the documenting of Montgomery's history by suggesting research topics and helping researchers. His current project is copying and reading all the old school board minutes for Montgomery. Walter is a tireless man on a mission.
More information about the conference can be found on the website newjerseyhistory.org, or by calling 609-292-6062.
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About the New Jersey Historical Commission
The New Jersey Historical Commission is a division of the NJ Department of State. Its mission is to improve the quality of life in the state by preserving the historical record and advancing public knowledge and awareness of the Garden State's rich heritage. For information on the award recipients or the Historical Commission's annual conference, contact Marc Mappen, Executive Director, at 609-984-0902 or njhc@sos.state.nj.us.
