Call for Nominations for the 2027
Edwin C. Bearss Preservation Award
and the
Edwin C. Bearss Legacy Award
Edwin Cole Bearss was a legendary Civil War historian in the National Park Service, a Marine Corps veteran of World War II, and a lifetime member of our Civil War Round Table. Ed spoke regularly at our meetings and guided many of our tours. He showed us literally what it meant to have "boots on the ground" at a battlefield. For more information about Ed, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Bearss
In appreciation of
his dedication to battlefield preservation, the CWRTDC for many years made an
annual $1,000 donation to a historic site selected by Ed. After Ed’s passing in
2020, the Board of Directors unanimously decided to increase the amount of the
award to $2,500 and also establish a legacy award in Ed’s memory. For more
information about the history of the awards and Ed’s connection to our
Round Table, visit
https://cwrtdc-calendar.blogspot.com/p/ed-bearss-award-history.html
Edwin C. Bearss
Preservation Award
A monetary award of
$2,500 is presented to an entity (a non‐profit organization or public entity or agency) or individual to assist in preservation
of a Civil War site or history, with “preservation” being used in the broadest
sense of the word. This includes but is not limited to, the acquisition of
property; the building, repair or restoration of a property; and the promotion,
definition or narration of a site through interpretation, information infrastructure,
including research and educational materials or displays.
The grant amount
may, at the discretion of the CWRTDC Board of Directors, be increased or
decreased. Use of the Award for
financial matching of additional donations is encouraged.
The awardee of the
Edwin C Bearss Preservation Award should confirm in writing within one calendar
year how the grant was used. If the intended use of the grant is not possible,
the awardee should advise the CWRTDC of any change to the requested purpose or
return the grant to the CWRTDC, allowing it to be reallocated for future
awards.
It would be appreciated if the awardee of the Edwin C. Bearss Preservation Award publicly acknowledge its receipt of the award.
Edwin C. Bearss
Legacy Award
This award, which is
non‐monetary, is given to a person or
persons who exemplify and emulate Ed Bearss’s dedication in their personal
efforts and commitment to preserve Civil War historic sites and landmarks or relevant
educational activities.
Application Process
• The call for nominations for the
2027 Awards will be issued in July 2026.
• Nominations are due by the close
of business November 1, 2026.
• Nominations for an Award may be submitted by a current member of any Civil
War Round Table or similar organization.
• Sharing information about the Ed
Bearss Awards and the application process as widely as possible with
appropriate media outlets and with other Civil War history-related
organizations is encouraged.
• Nominations for the Preservation Award must be made by completing the form available by clicking HERE (https://drive.google.com/file/d/19nPcYBaNRWgGQFMUU0wvS52ey0c8paSH/view).
• Nominations for the Legacy Award must be made by completing the form available by clicking HERE (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vLb5sTixicSjdRjwYjkHJSqj32r0RcSf/view).
• Use of the forms is not optional.
The forms are provided as "fillable" PDFs that may be completed,
saved on your computer, and sent electronically as described below. If preferred, print the form, complete it by
hand, and send it as described below. Any additional relevant information may be
provided as attachment(s).
• Submissions must be sent via email to admin@cwrtdc.org with a copy to tedhirt@comcast.net.
• The 2027 awardees will be
recommended by the Selections Committee and approved by the CWRTDC Board of
Directors. The Selections Committee is open to all current members, Officers,
and Board members of the CWRTDC.
• Any person submitting a nomination
may not participate in the awards selection or decision-making process. Any
current Officer or Board member serving on the Selections Committee must be
recused from approving the recommendations made by the Selections Committee.
• The awards will be presented in
person at a CWRTDC meeting in or near Washington DC in early 2027.
Questions
Please contact Ted
Hirt, Chair of the CWRTDC’s Edwin C. Bearss Awards Selections Committee, at
tedhirt@comcast.net
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