Citations for Past Special Awards

1994 - Mr. and Mrs. John H. Joynt
The Historical Society takes particular pleasure in offering a special commendation to Mrs. May Joynt and the late Howard Joynt for their long abiding efforts in the preservation field and also for their munificent gift of silver - which is on display at the Lyceum - to the City of Alexandria.  For many years, Mr. Joynt served as chairman of the Historic Alexandria Preservation Restoration Commission which administers the Lloyd House, now occupied by the Alexandria library and its historic genealogical collection. He also supported the Carlyle House Historic Park and became president of the Carlyle House Foundation in 1984.  Throughout the years the Joynts gave generously of their time and knowledge to many local organizations and their support of historic preservation helped to establish the high standards which we appreciate and continue to practice.

1995 - Effie Crittenden Dunstan
Effie Crittenden Dunstan was born in Montgomery, Alabama, educated at Florida State College in Tallahassee, admitted to the Alabama bar in 1934 and to the United States Supreme Court in 1944, and served as Assistant Attorney General of Alabama. She moved with her husband, Arthur, to Alexandria in 1949 and developed her continuing passion for Alexandria history. I t is unlikely that any other person has been active (and not simply a nominal member) in so many historic, preservation and other civic and community projects and organizations in Alexandria and Northern Virginia as has Effie Dunstan.  Beginning in 1958 as a member of the Junior League of Alexandria, she organized the Gunston Hall Docents Association.  During her presidency of the Alexandria Association, she helped found, in 1974, the Alexandria Historical Society and became its registered legal agent, a responsibility she continues to exercise.  Some would consider her the "founding mother" of the Alexandria Historical Society.  Effie Dunstan is the author of "Colonial Alexandria, 1749-1776: the Governmental Power Structure," which appeared in Alexandria, A Composite History, Vol. I, and has also contributed to The City of Washington: An Illustrated History, published by the Junior League of Washington.  She authored many constitutions and by-laws, including those for the Carlyle House and the Alexandria Historical Society.  Effie Dunstan was, in 1974, a founding member of the Historic Alexandria Docents and, in 1984, a founder and member of the first board of trustees for the Preservation Alliance.  She has been an active member (and often a director or officer) of the Library Company, the Friends of Lloyd House, the Friends of Carlyle House, the Carlyle House Garden Guild, the Historic Alexandria Foundation, the vestry of Emanuel Church-on-the-Hill, the Lyceum Company, and various other city commissions and committees.  In 1985, she was the recipient of the prestigious Burke Award, which honors those who have contributed outstanding philanthropic and humanitarian services to the Alexandria community.

2000 - Dee Gavey (Mrs. T.W.) and Emmy Stuart (Mrs. Douglas B.)
In recognition to the important contributions to the Alexandria history community made by volunteer docents at Alexandria's museums and historic sites, these ladies were honored for each having served over 25 years as a docent.  Dee Gavey has been a docent at Carlyle since it reopened to the public in January 1976.  Emmy Stuart was at the Boyhood Home of Robert E. Lee for over 25 years.

2001 - T. Michael Miller
The Society bestowed a Special Award on T. Michael Miller, a long-time Board member and former president (1994-96) and vice president (1992-1994).  A perverse side effect of such permanent service on the Board is that it renders an individual ineligible for the annual History Award.  As a consequence, the other Board members unanimously voted to surprise Mike with a Special Award as a token of appreciation for his unparalleled contributions to the study of Alexandria history.  Mike is the research historian for the Office of Historic Alexandria and served in a similar capacity with the Alexandria library special collections division (Lloyd House) for many years.  He is the editor of the Alexandria Chronicle, the Society's quarterly, and formerly published the Library's Fireside Sentinel.  He is the author or compiler of many books of historical or genealogical interest.  Perhaps the most notable is A Seaport Saga (a collaboration with William Francis Smith), the third edition of which will soon be printed by the Society and the Alexandria Library Company.

2003 - Anne Smith Paul
Anne Smith Paul has given selflessly of her time to the community, most notably as an officer - president, vice president, treasurer and de facto archivist - of the Alexandria Historical Society.  She has also been a mainstay of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a published historian, and a member of the Historic Alexandria Resources Commission.  Because of her continuing service to the Historical Society, Anne is not eligible for the annual History Award, but there is no one more deserving of the gratitude and recognition of our city.

2003 - John Hanna, Gary Smith, the late Wilbur Sparks, and the Alexandria Harmonizers
We also honor John Hanna, Gary Smith and the late Wilbur Sparks, editors of Breathless Moments: The Alexandria Harmonizers, 1948-1998.  Published in 1999, their book chronicles the Alexandria Chapter of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc.  The work, and the Harmonizers themselves, are responsible for preserving and popularizing a unique aspect of the culture and artistic heritage of our city.

2004 - Betty Rhoads Wright
Betty Rhoads Wright was honored for her great generosity in purchasing and donating to the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum a collection of early documents pertaining to the business of the museum's two earliest proprietors, Edward Stabler and his son William.  This included the famous 1802 order from Martha Washington directing Mr. Stabler to send her a quart of his finest castor oil.  As a direct result of Mrs. Wright's generosity, the museum now possesses an almost complete inventory of documents dating from the 1790s to the 1930s.

2005 - Marian Van Landingham
Marian Van Landingham has been a loyal advocate for museums and historic sites throughout her 23 years in the Virginia General Assembly.  She consistently sponsored legislation to strengthen the goals of the statewide Department of Historic Resources, and she sponsored or supported the work of others in securing funding for the Lee-Fendall House, the Lloyd House, the Alexandria Academy, the Athenaeum, the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, and a variety of other historic and cultural sites.

2007 - Gary D. Eyler
Mr. Eyler owns the Old Colony Shop at 222 S. Washington Street.  About ten years ago at an auction, he acquired artifacts unearthed at Jamestown; among the items were a 1595 cannon similar to one used by Captain John Smith at the settlement and a first edition of Smith's 1624 map of Virginia.  He allowed them to be displayed in an exhibit titled "Virginia - Celebrating 400 Years."  Mr. Eyler is donating 22 artifacts to the state of Virginia as a gift for Virginia's 400th birthday.  Gary D. Eyler is being recognized for his generosity and dedication to Virginia's history.

2008 - Carlton A. Funn, Sr.
The Alexandria Historical Society honored Carlton A. Funn, Sr. for his lifetime of service preserving and promoting African-American heritage through National /International Cultural Exhibits (NICE), which he founded.  NICE is a traveling exhibition that has been shown more than 400 times to school and community groups in 11 states over the past 50 years.  Mr. Funn began to collect memorabilia artifacts in about 1957 that reflected African-Americans' contributions to Virginia and the United States, and he turned the collection into meaningful exhibitions.  He has served our community as an educator for more than forty-two years.

2009 - Robert E. L. deButts, Jr.
A Special Award is given to Robert E. L. deButts, Jr., a descendant of Robert E. Lee, for his noteworthy contribution to knowledge of an important period in American history.  Mr. deButts was doing research on his Lee family ancestors in 2002.  Knowing that Mary Custis Lee had once had an account at the Burke & Herbert Bank, he contacted his former schoolmate, E. Hunt Burke of the Alexandria bank.  Two unclaimed steamer trunks belonging to Mary Custis Lee were discovered.  This amazing event resulted in the Lee family making the documents, journals and artifacts available to scholars by placing the contents on loan to the Virginia Historical Society.  Mr. deButts wrote the interesting article "Lee in Love: Courtship and Correspondence in Antebellum Virginia," published by the Virginia Historical Society in their quarterly magazine.  He is now compiling an edition of Robert E. Lee's family letters.

2009 - Char McCargo Bah
Ms. Bah, a noted historian and genealogist specializing in African-American family research, was recognized for her research into descendants of people buried at Freedmen's Cemetery. Through her efforts, over 40 descendants of the people buried at the Cemetery have been identified and located, many still in the Alexandria area. This work was not inconsequential. Her work has helped to put faces to people buried and lost through the decades, to link families with forgotten members buried almost 150 years ago, and to strengthen the ties between a community and its past.

2009 - Rosalind H. Bovey
A longtime champion of Alexandria history, Ms. Bovey was honored for her high quality historical research, and support, of the North Ridge community in Alexandria; her development of five programs involving topics in Alexandria's history aired on Agenda Alexandria, an organization that sponsors informed debate and discussion on issues of concern to Alexandrians; and her longtime leadership of, and service to, the Friends of Carlyle House.

2009 - Leland and Janet Ness
Leland and Janet Ness, historians and residents of Del Ray, were recognized for their extensive historical research into the Town of Potomac (now Del Ray); promotion of Del Ray history; and efforts to identify, via plaques, and preserve historic homes in the historic district.

2010 - Ruth Lincoln Kaye
Ruth Lincoln Kaye was recognized for her two-volume work, The History of St. Paul's Episcopal Church 1809 - 2009.  This comprehensive history of one of Alexandria's most significant institutions is an important addition to the written record of Alexandria's history. The Alexandria Public Library catalog lists fifteen publications by Mrs. Kaye related to Alexandria history. Her pamphlet Legends and Folk Tales of Old Alexandria, Virginia has been a staple at Alexandria book stores and gift shops for over thirty years.  Widely published locally, Mrs. Kaye has contributed articles related to Alexandria's history to publications such as the Alexandria Chronicle, the Fireside Sentinel, Northern Virginia Heritage, and the Yearbook of the Historical Society of Fairfax County, Virginia.  In addition, she has provided Alexandria history articles to publications such as the Alexandria Gazette Packet.  Mrs. Kaye has been researching and writing about Alexandria's history for seven decades and played a major role in assisting developers in choosing street names related to Alexandria history for the Eisenhower valley.  As part of her history research business, she has also developed over 265 "house histories" of Alexandria-area homes.

2010 - Rev. Dr. Lee A. Earl and Minister Zandra Earl
The Reverend Dr. Lee A. Earl, Senior Pastor, and his wife Zandra Lee, First Lady and Minister, of Shiloh Baptist Church were recognized for their efforts toward ensuring the preservation and renovation of historic Shiloh Baptist Church, founded in 1863 and located at 1315 Duke Street, and the adjacent historic building being renovated as housing for senior citizens.  In 2009, Dr. Earl was appointed president of the Alexandria Chapter of the NAACP.   Shiloh Baptist Church has many community programs, but two of their most noteworthy have been the creation of the Shiloh Baptist Church Museum, which preserves the rich legacy of their religious community and African Americans in Alexandria, and the development of Beasley Square which will provide affordable housing for Alexandria's senior community.