The Association for the Study of Connecticut History (ASCH) has awarded the Betty M. Linsley Award for 2015 to Mystic Seaport for the book, The Charles W. Morgan: A Picture History of an American Icon. The Award recognizes the best work on a significant aspect of Connecticut’s history published by, for, or on behalf of a Connecticut historical society or organization.

Peter Hinks, the Awards Committee Chairperson, wrote in his notification announcement, “Embedding the Morgan not only in a centuries-old history of whaling but in the lavishly illustrated log of one of the most important restoration projects in Connecticut’s history, this volume makes clear why we are so fortunate to still have the Morgan among us. It is our privilege to recognize Mystic Seaport’s accomplishment.”

This Award is named for Betty M. Linsley, history teacher, librarian, archivist, and genealogist. It honors Linsley’s work in promoting the study, teaching, and preservation of Connecticut history.

The Award was presented to Mystic Seaport at the annual meeting of the Association at Central Connecticut State University on November 7.

The last two weeks have been quite exciting in terms of progress on the new Thompson Exhibition Building. Since the groundbreaking last January, the bulk of the work has been underground. The infrastructures systems–electrical, IT, water, sewer and storm water drainage–had to be located, moved, or replaced, and the building site excavated, the foundation poured, and then back filled. It was a lot of work, but not visible behind the construction fence.

All that changed last week when the first of the laminated wood beams arrived and the contractors began to finally build up.

The exposed wooden beams are major feature of the design. Their giant curve is meant to invoke the frames of a ship or the curl of a wave. The beams are laminated from multiple pieces of Douglas fir at a factory outside of Montreal, Canada. At 105-foot long, they need to be shipped in pieces and assembled on site. The engineers cleverly hid the steel plates holding the parts together by inserted them in a kerf, or slot, cut into the beam leaving only the bolts visible.

The limited space around the site presents a challenge for the general contractor A/Z Corporation. They have to stage materials off site or have them delivered pre-fabricated, and everything needs to arrive exactly when needed. It is a complicated task that involves a lot of planning and coordination, but the results can now be seen. All told, there will be 10 beams, and A/Z plans to have all of the beams up and the building enclosed by the December holidays.

Mystic Seaport honored Nantucket author Nathaniel Philbrick with the 2015 America and the Sea Award on October 14. Presented annually by the Museum, the prestigious award recognizes an individual or organization whose contribution to the history, arts, business, or sciences of the sea best exemplify the American character.

Philbrick received the award at a gala held in his honor at the Metropolitan Club in New York City.

This year marked the 10th anniversary of the award. Past recipients include oceanographer and explorer Sylvia Earle, historian David McCullough, legendary yacht designer Olin Stephens, President and CEO of Crowley Maritime Corporation, Thomas Crowley, philanthropist William Koch, former Secretary of the Navy John Lehman, WoodenBoat founder Jon Wilson, yachtsman and author Gary Jobson, and maritime industrialist Charles A. Robertson.

On presenting the award, Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport, cited Philbrick’s “significant contributions to the literary field, commitment to wise and accurate storytelling, his passion for sailing and the maritime world, and life’s work educating Americans about their history and sharing this with the entire world.”

Philbrick is closely linked to the island of Nantucket, where he moved with his wife, Melissa, and their two children in 1986. In 1994, he published his first book about the island’s history, Away Off Shore, followed by a study of Nantucket’s native legacy, Abram’s Eyes. He was the founding director of Nantucket’s Egan Maritime Institute and is still a research fellow at the Nantucket Historical Association.

In 2000, Philbrick published the New York Times bestseller, In the Heart of the Sea, which won the National Book Award for nonfiction. The book is the basis of the Warner Bros. motion picture “In Heart of the Sea,” which is directed by Ron Howard and scheduled for release this December. The book also inspired a 2001 Dateline special on NBC and the 2010 two-hour PBS American Experience film “Into the Deep” by Ric Burns.

The author’s next book, Sea of Glory, was published in 2003 and won the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Naval History Prize and the Albion-Monroe Award from the National Maritime Historical Society. The New York Times bestseller Mayflower, a finalist for both the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in History and the Los Angeles Times Book Award, won the Massachusetts Book Award for nonfiction.Mayflower was named one of the ten “Best Books of 2006” by the New York Times Book Review and is currently in development as a limited series on FX.

Philbrick’s latest New York Times bestseller, Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution, was published in 2013 and was awarded both the 2013 New England Book Award for nonfiction and the 2014 New England Society Book Award, as well as the 2014 Distinguished Book Award of the Society of Colonial Wars.

The author recently announced that his new book, Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold and the Fate of the American Revolution, is scheduled for publication on May 10, 2016.

Mystic Seaport President Steve White appeared on a recent episode of the Comcast program “Newsmakers” to discuss the Museum’s latest initiatives, including new exhibits, its role as an educational institution, and how it intends to share the importance of maritime history to the next generation of visitors.

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Mystic Seaport will honor historian and author Nathaniel Philbrick with the 2015 America and the Sea Award. Presented annually by the Museum, the prestigious award recognizes an individual or organization whose contribution to the history, arts, business, or sciences of the sea best exemplify the American character.

Philbrick will receive the award Wednesday, October 14, at a gala held in his honor in New York City.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the award. Past recipients include oceanographer and explorer Sylvia Earle, historian David McCullough, legendary yacht designer Olin Stephens, President and CEO of Crowley Maritime Corporation, Thomas Crowley, philanthropist William Koch, former Secretary of the Navy John Lehman, WoodenBoat founder Jon Wilson, yachtsman and author Gary Jobson, and maritime industrialist Charles A. Robertson.

“Like those recipients before him, Nat Philbrick’s work helps to elevate one’s understanding of the sea. With every work he publishes, his words speak to American history and they instruct us on our heritage in a very personal and approachable manner,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport.

Philbrick is closely linked to the island of Nantucket, where he moved with his wife, Melissa, and their two children in 1986. In 1994, he published his first book about the island’s history, Away Off Shore, followed by a study of Nantucket’s native legacy, Abram’s Eyes. He was the founding director of Nantucket’s Egan Maritime Institute and is still a research fellow at the Nantucket Historical Association.

In 2000, Philbrick published the New York Times bestseller, In the Heart of the Sea, which won the National Book Award for nonfiction. The book is the basis of the Warner Bros. motion picture “In Heart of the Sea,” which is directed by Ron Howard and scheduled for release in December, 2015. The book also inspired a 2001 Dateline special on NBC and the 2010 two-hour PBS American Experience film “Into the Deep” by Ric Burns.

The author’s next book, Sea of Glory, was published in 2003 and won the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Naval History Prize and the Albion-Monroe Award from the National Maritime Historical Society. The New York Times bestseller Mayflower, a finalist for both the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in History and the Los Angeles Times Book Award, won the Massachusetts Book Award for nonfiction. Mayflower was named one of the ten “Best Books of 2006” by the New York Times Book Review and is currently in development as a limited series on FX.

Philbrick’s latest New York Times bestseller, Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution, was published in 2013 and was awarded both the 2013 New England Book Award for nonfiction and the 2014 New England Society Book Award, as well as the 2014 Distinguished Book Award of the Society of Colonial Wars. Bunker Hill has been optioned by Warner Bros. for feature film adaptation.

Philbrick has received the Byrne Waterman Award from the Kendall Whaling Museum, the Samuel Eliot Morison Award for distinguished service from the USS Constitution Museum, the Nathaniel Bowditch Award from the American Merchant Marine Museum, the William Bradford Award from the Pilgrim Society, and the Boston History Award from the Bostonian Society. He was named the 2011 Cushing Orator by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and has an honorary doctorate from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, where he delivered the commencement address in 2009.

His writing has appeared in Vanity Fair, The New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and The Boston Globe. He has appeared on the “Today Show”, the “Morning Show”, “Dateline”, PBS’s “American Experience”, C-SPAN, and NPR.

Philbrick grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and earned a BA in English from Brown University and an MA in America Literature from Duke University, where he was a James B. Duke Fellow. He was Brown University’s first Intercollegiate All-American sailor in 1978.

Mystic Seaport has named Angela McGhee from Winthrop STEM Elementary Magnet School in New London the recipient of the 2015 Orion Award. The Award was announced at the Museum’s annual Members’ Meeting on September 26.

The Orion Award is bestowed by Mystic Seaport on teachers who create meaningful and innovative learning experiences for their students by utilizing the Museum’s collections, programs, and learning resources. It recognizes teachers who infuse history, math, science, and literature with a maritime focus and are an inspiration to their students and their colleagues. The Museum has given the award annually since 2005.

As the Operations Manager for Winthrop STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Elementary Magnet School, McGhee’s primary responsibility is to oversee the Expanded Learning Time program. Expanded Learning Time is a national initiative designed to give students the opportunity for more quality time within the school day to experience a variety of enriching and engaging experiences. The program at Winthrop has added 300 hours to the regular school for students with help from teachers and community partners like Mystic Seaport.

With the Expanded Learning Time program students have the opportunity to develop deeper learning skills such as teamwork, public speaking, and creative problem solving. Under McGhee’s leadership, Mystic Seaport provided 92 sessions of Expanded Learning Time programs for the school’s 4th grade students over the course of 18 weeks. The programming connects to Winthrop’s focus on STEM and vocabulary development, while exploring topics that included astronomy, whaling, life in a seaport town, and the use of primary sources.

“Angela has a wonderful combination of being able to “think big” and then implement the visionary idea,” said Sarah Cahill, the director of education at Mystic Seaport. “Angela truly understands the value of experiential learning, and has worked hard to forge lasting relationships with Mystic Seaport and other community partners to provide the most engaging and impactful education to the students at Winthrop.”