Thanking UGA and a whole team
Saturday here at The Legal Genealogist is the time to talk about family stories and history.
But occasionally it’s time to record The Legal Genealogist‘s own family story and history.
And today is a time to remember the mentors.
Gerald Kerrigan was my 11th grade English teacher. It was an advanced English class and he was particularly demanding. Some of the students complained to their parents, the issue was addressed at a PTA meeting, but that teacher stood his ground.
And I learned how to write.
Kenneth W. Michael was the executive editor of a newspaper then known as the Perth Amboy Evening News. I was a cocky teenager without a college degree – and with a writing style Ken described as the most nearly identical to his that he had ever seen.
He gave me my first break. I became a newspaper reporter. And under his tutelage and that of news editor John Curley, I became a better writer.
Jack Smee and Alex Michelini were the editors of the short-lived New Jersey edition of the New York Daily News. Although by that time I had been off in the corporate world, they paved the way for me to come back into journalism.
The Daily News style was short and sassy, Jack and Alex were masters of that craft, and under their guidance I learned to write and have fun.
When I first met Matthew P. Boylan, he was director of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He fed me information as a newspaper reporter; I fed him evidence he could use in his investigations. Later, when he was a senior partner in a New Jersey law firm, he gave me my first legal job – as an investigator for his law firm while I went to law school.
Until the day he died, Matt was my teacher and my friend. From him, I learned to love the law.
The entire faculty and staff at Rutgers Law School has to be included in any mentor list. They were my teachers and later my colleagues during the quarter century that I taught as an adjunct at Rutgers.
And then there are the genealogists.
It was my friend Lynne Fisher of Chicago who convinced me that we were ready to take the Advanced Methodology and Evidence Analysis class known as Course Four at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. That was the course taught by Elizabeth Shown Mills.
Which is the reason why I am fortunate enough to count Elizabeth as one of my mentors. I wasn’t at all sure I knew what I was doing as a genealogist or that I could ever be good at it. So I will never forget opening the final project paper from that class and seeing one word at the top in Elizabeth’s handwriting: “Superb.”
The following year I took the genealogy writing course taught by Thomas W. Jones at IGHR. And that is how I began to count Tom as one of my mentors.
David McDonald. Claire Bettag. Rick and Pam Sayre. John Phillip Colleta. The list of genealogists from whom I have learned goes on and on.
And the mentor list goes on and on. There are so many people who helped me become a better journalist, a better lawyer, a better genealogist. Every one of them is on my mind today.
Why today?
Because last night was the final banquet for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, where Rick Sayre and I had had a wonderful time with the students in our Family History Law Library class, aided by Claire Bettag, David Rencher and F. Warren Bittner as instructors. It was a great week.
Then came the total surprise. The President of the Utah Genealogical Association, Bret Peterson, got up to present the UGA awards and the first one presented was the 2015 Silver Tray Award, given for scholarly contributions to the field of genealogy and family history. Since 1988, it has traditionally been given for publication efforts.
It has gone in the past to people I count as dear friends: Kimberly Powell, Tom Jones, Lou Szucs and others who have contributed so much to the written scholarship of our genealogical community.
And, last night, that award was presented to me.
I am honored.
I am grateful to UGA.
And I am most grateful to my mentors.
In genealogy, we all have the sense that when we laugh, all of our ancestors smile for us, and when we cry, they are all there helping comfort us.
In our lives as genealogists, when we succeed all our mentors share in our success.
Thank you to my mentors.
Congratulations, Judy. I am so happy for you!! I wish I could have been there to see it presented to you last night, but I had to get home to see Nicky before my birthday ended.
Richly deserved!
Thanks so much, CeCe, and I’m glad Nicky got to spend part of your birthday with you!!
Congratulations! From all the peons who enjoy reading your written scholarship! You deserved this award.
If you’re a peon, I’m the President of Bolivia. (Folks, if you haven’t read Heather’s blog, Nutfield Genealogy, you’re missing a treat!) Thanks for the kind words.
Congratulations, Judy! It is an honor well deserved. Thank you for sharing so much of what you’ve learned with all of us.
Thanks so much, Barbara!
Congratulations Judy! Well deserved!
Thanks, Hank!
I could NOT be more proud! An award so richly earned, sis!
Awww… thanks, Di! (Talk about a family day? This is my older sister saying she’s proud of me! [beaming]!)
We are all proud of you Judy, seems like no matter what you tackle, you do it a certain zeal, hard work forms friendships, mentors love a student who wants to learn and gives back also. I do find it strange that we both went into the newspaper business. You into journalism, me the lowly printer…haha. After 27 years I seen my newspaper “The Dallas Times Herald” close its doors in 1991. I had a few mentors that taught me the printing trade whom I miss. But technology moves on, from printing to computing, again, more mentors, teaching me a new trade. I will take this moment to thank and say “God bless the Mentors”, thank you for reminding me of those special people.
Stan, when I started in journalism, it was all still hot type! So I know what you mean for sure! Thanks for the kind words, and oh yes… thanks to the mentors!
Could not have been awarded to a more deserving person Judy. Thank you for all that you do for all of us!!!
Thanks so much!!
What a wonderful accolade. Congratulations!
Thank you, Chris!
I can’t think of a better person to receive that award. Congratulations, Judy!
Thanks so much for the kind words, Susan!
Congratulations Judy! I am so happy for you and can think of no one more deserving! And I echo your sentiments regarding mentorship and thank you personally and on behalf of others for your educational contributions to the field. I am glad to count you among my mentors!
Thanks so much for your way-too-kind comments, Cari. I look at folks like you and think how lucky I am to be in this community of ours.
Congratulations! A recognition well deserved at this point along the path of a very fortunate life journey.
Thanks so much, Brian!
Congratulations!!! Well deserved! I have only recently subscribed after your HCGHS presentation. I look forward to reading your blog every day!
Appreciate the kind words, Jane.
Have been reading your blog for a few months and enjoying it immensely. However, your mention today of Gerald Kerrigan stopped me in my tracks. EHS? Did we attend high school together? It’s a darn small world!!!!!
EHS Eagles, of course! I had a Michael Dotsko in my year.
That’s my brother who was in your class. Gee, this prompted a nice little excursion down memory lane. I love when events in my past happily collide with my present! And kudos on your award…I was so gobsmacked that I forgot to pass on my congrats.
Thanks… And small world, indeed!
Congratulations, Judy! You have done so much to enhance the genealogical community through your writing — I can’t think of a more deserving person 🙂
Kimberly (who counts you as a dear friend too)
Aww… thanks, Kimberly. Much appreciated.
Your presence, your words and your laughter. It makes a perfect combination. Wonderful!
And you, my friend, are wonderful yourself. I have learned much from you.
Judy, you are very deserving; congratulations!!!
I loved this post, and I also took something from it. You see, I am that teacher – the firm one with high expectations of my students – the one parents sometimes complain about. But, I produce EXCELLENT, MOTIVATED, HIGH-ACHIEVING students, and I’ve been doing so for almost 30 years! Your opening paragraph reaffirmed me of the “good” that I’m doing, even though I, like your former teacher have constantly had to stand my ground.
Blessings,
Renate
Thanks, Renate… for your kind words to me and for your expectations of your students.
Now so many of us count you as mentor. Thank you for all that you do.
Thanks so much, Christy — and for all your hard work in making SLIG what it is today.
Congratulations Judy on your very well-deserved award!
Congratulations from Australia, Judy. We should all remember the wonderful people who helped us get there, but hard work comes into it too.
After this past week at SLIG, I’ll accept that “hard work” comment, Margaret!! 🙂 Thanks much for the kind words.
Congratulations! Now I understand why you write so well and are able to touch us all so profoundly with your words. Good teachers and lots of practice make perfect!
Thanks so much, Annick!
Judy, I saw the picture of the silver tray and my eyes popped out! In my gut I knew this was something BIG! Congratulations on an honor very much deserved! I LOVE your writing style. Reading your blog makes me laugh so often. And today I had moisture in my (popped back in) eyes. You are such a special person to remember all the mentors who have helped you along the way. Congratulations!
Thanks for the kind words, Denise. None of us can get ahead without an awful lot of folks standing behind — pushing, cheering, sometimes kicking us in the behind!
I was so thrilled with the great honor of bestowing such a well-deserved award on someone that I have looked up to since being students together NIGR. To make it a surprise was just icing on the cake. It was an opportunity that I will always cherish.
I was totally surprised, Bret, and I am so honored. Our NIGR class was really something special, wasn’t it?
I can’t think of a more deserving recipient! And I’m glad I was able to witness the surprised look on your face when you were awarded. Keep on writing. Not only do you pass on your vast knowledge but you are highly entertaining too!
Thanks so much, Michelle!
Congratulations Judy! Well deserved! Can’t thank you enough for all that you do for the genealogy community. You are right at the top of the mentor list. Many thanks again to you and all the other mentors who share their knowledge and help us become better genealogist.
Thanks so much for the kind words!
… and you are truly deserving! Congratulations.
Thanks so much, Doris! Much appreciated!
Congratulations Judy on a most deserved award! You deserve a stack of trays!!
Thanks so much… but getting one home from SLC is enough of a challenge!! 🙂
Congratulations, Judy! Very, very deserved. I hope you display it very near to that paper with Elizabeth Shown Mills’ “Superb” comment. 🙂
In the short time I’ve been learning from you, Judy, the quality of my genealogy insights and the clarity of my thinking about genealogy have grown leaps and bounds. Your award is evidence that you have taken on the responsibility of passing on what you have learned, which is what mentoring is all about. I am one of the many grateful recipients of your skills and thoughtfulness. Thank you. From what I have seen of you, the award is on the mark.
Thanks so very much for those far-too-kind words, Annie.
Congratulations. As a neophyte in the world of Genealogy one of the things I look forward to is the opportunity to sit in your presentations at the conferences I am able to attend. Always educational, always interesting, and always just plain fun.
A well deserved recognition.
Thanks so much, Chris!
I am so happy for you! Congrats and well deserved, keep touching the lives of others as your mentors do.
Thanks for the kind words, Shelley!