NMHS:
A CAUSE IN MOTION National Maritime Awards Dinner Advocates for the Maritime Heritage Community
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Former award recipient US Senator John W. Warner (at left) accepts the award for Senator Barbara Mikulski and has fun congratulating CNO ADM Jonathan W. Greenert, USN (Ret.) on his recognition at the 2015 gala at the National Press Club. 8
andrew snow photography
photo by vernon young jr.
photo by joe rudinec
or more than half a century, the National Maritime Historical Society has held a major gala awards event at the New York Yacht Club to honor those whose accomplishments in the maritime field were notable and would inspire others. Some were internationally famous, such as Walter Cronkite, Nathaniel Philbrick, Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, Ted Turner, Clive Cussler, and Dr. Bob Ballard, but others may have been recognized only within the maritime community, where they are giants in the field—Olin Stephens, Captain Arthur Kimberly, US Rep. Helen Delich Bentley, Nat Wilson, and Alan Villiers, to name a few. It was about a decade ago that the Society realized that it was important to do some serious advocacy for the maritime heritage community in the nation’s capital, to not only push for federal funding but also to recognize the thousands of maritime heritage projects developed across the country to preserve and promote our seafaring past. The National Maritime Awards Dinner Committee is an impressive assembly of leaders throughout And so, the National Maritime Awards the maritime field—and they know how to have a good time! Here, the 2018 dinner committee poses for a group photo at the Mayflower Hotel prior to the gala. Dinner was born. Here we would honor those doing exemplary work in the maritime field—not just in the heritage community but in the maritime industry at large—and fête them before the leaders in Washington who are in a position to support national funding. We established a large committee of directors and presidents of maritime museums, historians and authors, shipping executives, military personnel, and other leaders in the field. The awards events are fun, friendly, and welcoming, and have become increasingly popular after word has gotten out from attendees. Guests still recall how Honorable John Warner brought down the house when he accepted the award for Senator Mikulski, who could not attend. While you can imagine the thrill of hearing compelling speakers like the Honorable Helen Bentley, Governor Tom Ridge, and Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Friedman, you might not expect such a convivial atmosphere and informal interactions between guests, hosts, and honorees. Those who were at the 2019 event recall with delight the fun banter between Navy CNOs Admiral Jay Johnson, Admiral Jonathan Greenert and former Secretary of the Navy John Lehman as they were on stage together. This year, we are gathering our NMHS family, friends, and award recipients by Zoom and making it easy for you to join us. It’s free, (unless you will join as a sponsor, for which we will be most grateful) and you can wear your slippers and not worry about parking the Three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning New car. Next year we hope you will join us in Washington, take in the impressive view of the York Times columnist Thomas Friedman White House from the windows of the iconic National Press Club, visit museums and the speaks at the 2017 Washington dinner, National Mall, and enjoy the treasures of our capital city. For now, we are excited to be presenting the NMHS Distinguished Service able to present the awards show virtually in real time, when the spontaneity of the evening Award to Conservation International and is something we eagerly anticipate. I hope you join us; I’d like to introduce a few of those its chairman and founder Peter Seligmann. you will get to meet. Dinner chairs Denise Krepp and VADM Al Konetzni, USN (Ret.), will open the event and greet us all, and our founding dinner chair, Philip Webster, will be on hand as well. America’s Cup sailing great, Gary Jobson, will serve as our master of ceremonies. Denise Krepp is a local in Washington and has been a great resource for us and our guests. She’s active on Capitol Hill and her impressive resume includes service as a Coast Guard JAG officer, on the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, and as chief counsel for MARAD. Denise invites you to “Please join us for the 10th Annual National Maritime Awards on May 6th. We may be at home, but collectively we’ll raise
SEA HISTORY 174, SPRING 2021