Civic leader and preservation advocate Richard White was among the inaugural class of eight community leaders honored by the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation for his extraordinary contributions to the preservation of Long Island history.
In a ceremony held at the Snapper Inn in Oakdale on August 13, White received the LIONS Award for his advocacy and stewardship of some of Long Island’s most significant natural historic resources including the Montauk Point Lighthouse. White was introduced by Mia Certic, Executive Director of the Montauk Historical Society. Legislator Ann Welker also praised White’s work.
“This year’s honorees have all made unwavering efforts in promoting Long Island’s historic outreach and education,” said Kathryn M. Curran, Executive Director of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation in Riverhead. “Their vision, commitment and groundbreaking research has advanced the understanding of regional history.”
In addition to White, they include:
Jane Alcorn: The driving force in saving Wardenclyffe in Shoreham, Nikola Tesla’s last remaining laboratory, transforming a once-threatened site into an internationally recognized center for learning and innovation.
Georgette Lane Case: Riverhead Town Historian for more than two decades whose scholarship and stewardship of thousands of historical records, including Suffolk County’s Revolutionary-era history, have ensured stories of the region’s people and institutions remain accessible to future generations.
Constance Gibson Currie: Distinguished historian, author, librarian and community leader who has advanced the preservation and interpretation of Sayville and Long Island’s South Shore history.
Robert Kessler: Longtime president of the Yaphank Historical Society and master builder whose advocacy for historic preservation throughout Suffolk County has left a lasting impact on the region’s historical landscape.
Hugh King: East Hampton Town Historian whose decades of leadership have helped document, interpret and preserve the history of Long Island’s East End.
Dr. Natalie Naylor: Former president of the Nassau County Historical Society and Professor Emerita of History at Hofstra University who has illuminated the region’s rich history through her leadership of the Long Island Studies Institute.
John Remmer: Preservationist, community advocate and longtime steward of Oakdale’s historic reserves whose leadership has helped restore and maintain historic structures with the Connetquot River State Park Preserve.
ABOUT THE ROBERT DAVID LION GARDINER FOUNDATION
The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, established in 1987, is a nonprofit philanthropic organization dedicated to promoting and preserving Long Island’s history and its role in the American experience through grants, partnerships and educational initiatives.