VIEW THIS EMAIL AS A WEBPAGE

12 May 2023 — The 2023 National Maritime Awards

On Tuesday night NMHS hosted its twelfth annual National Maritime Awards dinner at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Award recipients included the USS Constitution Museum, Congressman Joseph D. Courtney of Connecticut’s Second District, and the Oyster Recovery Partnership.

Over 160 leaders of the maritime community, including representatives of the US Navy, the Coast Guard and other services, the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy, the US Congress, maritime museums, and aerospace and defense contractors gathered to pay tribute to the honorees.

Anne Grimes Rand first joined the USS Constitution Museum team in 1986 in the position of research associate and progressed to become museum curator, designing exhibits and managing the collection of artifacts and archival records. She has been its president and CEO since 2010. Photo courtesy USS Constitution Museum.

VADM Richard Hunt, USN (Ret.), presented the 2023 NMHS Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Maritime Education to the USS Constitution Museum. For over 50 years, the museum has been collecting, preserving, and interpreting the artifacts that tell the stories of “Old Ironsides,” the oldest commissioned warship afloat and America’s Ship of State. In recognition of her guidance of the organization for over three decades, the Society also celebrated Anne Grimes Rand, President and CEO of the USS Constitution Museum, who accepted the award on its behalf. In her acceptance speech, Grimes Rand expressed gratitude for the honor and reflected on the significance of the USS Constitution.

“What I love about USS Constitution is not only that it's a historic ship, an undefeated warship, America’s ship of state, but it is an active ship. It is a living ship. It is still making history today,” Rand shared.

Grimes Rand also spoke of her work at the USS Constitution Museum, the privilege she has to conduct research on documents from the past, extracting valuable stories to share with the public through artifacts and programs, and especially bringing Boston public school students aboard to learn about maritime history. 

Rand highlighted the story of David Tobias, an eight-year-old free African American who served aboard the ship during the last battle of the War of 1812. “He didn't climb on a school bus; he climbed on the deck of the ship. And he makes history real in our galleries today. You tell that story to a group of schoolchildren...and it's real, history is visceral.”

Grimes Rand concluded by saying, “The museum is excited and honored to receive the Walter Cronkite Award. I want to thank this wonderful organization for what you do and for sharing the recognition with the USS Constitution Museum. And I also thank our trustees, advisors and many of our friends who are here this evening. It's a privilege to be here and to serve as the memory and educational voice for ‘Old Ironsides.’”

Commander Farrell aboard USS Constitution. Photo courtesy US Navy.

CDR Billie J. Farrell, USN, commanding officer of USS Constitution, was honored with the National Maritime Historical Society’s Bravo Zulu Award. A native of Kentucky and graduate of the US Naval Academy, Commander Farrell came to the Constitution with a love of Navy tradition. She served on surface warships including the cruisers USS Vella Gulf, USS San Jacinto, and the USS Vicksburg, and has been recognized with two meritorious service medals and four Navy Marine Corps commendation medals.

Upon receiving the award, she stated, “Every day I’m able to serve as a steward of our past, a representative of our Navy of today, and a link to our future with a crew of 80 active duty sailors who preserve, promote and protect the legacy of the ship for the next generation is truly an honor and a privilege. Thank you for this award. And thank you for having me join you all this evening.”

Robert Lee, the ORP planting vessel. Photo: Oyster Recovery Partnership.

Dr. Michael Sieracki, Director of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences Horn Point Laboratory, awarded the first-ever NMHS Marine Conservation Award to H. Ward Slacum, head of the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP). The ORP’s hands-on approach to marine conservation has made it a model for environmental organizations worldwide.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Slacum explained that the ORP has planted over 10 billion oysters and restored almost 1,000 acres of oyster habitat in the Chesapeake Bay, with a goal of recovering an additional 1,000 acres by 2030. Their efforts have contributed to the economic revival of Maryland’s commercial oyster industry, with the past two years seeing the largest oyster harvests since 1980.

Mr. Slacum expressed his pride in the ORP’s work. He stated, “ORP is proud to be recognized for the progress we have made restoring the native oyster, our hands on approach allows us to see our results firsthand. And it is true that this is the type of work where you can get up in the morning and you really want to go to work, because you could see the difference that you’re making. We are thrilled to be recognized for this award. And we also applaud the National Maritime Historical Society for prioritizing marine conservation as a mission that is worthy of recognition.”

Congressman Joseph D. Courtney of the Second Congressional District of Connecticut with CAPT Kenneth Curtin, Commanding Officer of SUBASE New London, and other US Navy leaders celebrating the long-awaited completion of the new Pier 32 at SUBASE New London in November 2022. Photo: Rep. Courtney.

Vice Admiral Al Konetzni, USN (Ret.), former Deputy Commander of US Fleet Forces Command and US Atlantic Fleet, presented the NMHS Distinguished Service Award to Representative Joseph D. Courtney, recognizing his unwavering efforts in securing funding for US Navy submarine procurement. Rep. Courtney’s successful advocacy for the production of two Virginia-class attack submarines per year and Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines earned him the nickname “Two Sub Joe.”

In his acceptance speech, Rep. Courtney expressed his gratitude, saying, “Recognizing the importance of maritime priorities for our country, our maritime country, is really the key to good legislating. You have to build alliances, work with people on the other side of the aisle, and those outside of Congress to make the case and succeed. I view this award as a validation not just of what I did, but what we all did together. It's an honor to receive this recognition.”

Acknowledging the presence of representatives from the US, UK, and Australian navies, Rep. Courtney stressed the importance of the United States’ partnership with its allies. He concluded by expressing his appreciation to his chief of staff and Coast Guard colleagues and thanked the National Maritime Historical Society for the award, promising to display it with pride.

The National Maritime Historical Society expresses its heartfelt gratitude to Dinner Chair Samuel F. Byers, Founding Dinner Chair Philip J. Webster, Trustee Richardo Lopes of Voyage Digital Media for his exceptional videos, marine artist Patrick O’Brien, and Master of Ceremonies Gary Jobson, America’s Cup winning tactician, celebrated author, and distinguished broadcaster who remains the nation’s foremost “Ambassador of Sailing.”

We cordially invite you to mark your calendars and join us on 2 May 2024, at the National Press Club for the 13th National Maritime Awards Dinner. Let us come together to celebrate another year of unparalleled commitment to the maritime heritage community. We hope to see you there!