On September 10, 2016, the Vermont Historical Society presented Jeff Kaufman with the Richard O Hathaway award for his film The State of Marriage. Pictured is Bill Lippert accepting the Richard O Hathaway Award on behalf of filmmaker Jeff Kaufman. The State of Marriage presents the epic and personal story of how small-town Vermont lawyers Beth Robinson and Susan Murray partnered with Mary Bonauto of GLAD in a 2-decade struggle that built the foundation for the entire marriage equality movement. The Hathaway Award is given each year in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the field of Vermont history.
“Often this award goes to a traditional book focusing on a subject in our more distant past. I’m excited that we can honor a film exploring our community today as we create history” –Steve Perkins, Executive Director of the Vermont Historical Society
The Vermont Historical Society also presented Joe Sherman with the Weston A Cate Fellowship award for his research proposal “Mellen Chamberlain’s Five Years of Good Fortune: 1832-1837.” The Vermont Historical Society bestows the Weston A Cate Fellowship biannually to encourage original research in the field of Vermont history.
Sherman's proposed project profiles Mellen Chamberlain, a Peacham, Vermont native who saw the significance of the telegraph long before the world caught up. In particular, it focuses on a five-year period in Chamberlain's life, which transformed him from a Dartmouth educated lawyer and teacher into an entrepreneur and visionary.
“This is a great way to do original research and permanently record important parts of Vermont’s history.
- Award Panelist”
The Vermont Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that operates the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier, the Leahy Library and the Vermont Heritage Galleries in Barre, and programming throughout the state. Established in 1838, its purpose is to reach a broad audience through outstanding collections and statewide outreach. The Vermont Historical Society believes that an understanding of the past changes lives and builds better communities. Visit the Society’s website at www.vermonthistory.org.