Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck, FNGS, was born on 26 May 1945 in Vandalia, Fayette County, Illinois; he died on 23 May 2018 in Dallas, Texas. With a thirty-year tenure as supervisor of the Genealogy Section (1979-2009) at the Dallas Public Library, he established the library’s reputation as a leading genealogical collection in the United States—including records not widely available—with more than 100,000 books, over 40,000 rolls of microfilm, and nearly 20,000 microfiche. He compiled over fifty bibliographies covering various subjects including colonial Germans, church records, Hoosier genealogy, land memorials, military and pension records, probate records, Virginia Baptists, and many more.

Between 1976 and 2017, he authored ten genealogical reference books and monographs. He served for eleven years on the faculty of the Genealogical Institute of Mid-America, University of Illinois at Springfield (1994-2005); seventeen years as a weekly columnist for the Dallas Morning News (1991-2008); seventeen years as an instructor at the School of Continuing Education, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas (1974-1991), and thirty-nine years on the faculty of the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) at Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama (1974-2013). Bockstruck lectured throughout the country at genealogical society workshops, seminars, and conferences, influencing several generations of genealogists, family historians, and librarians. His honors include being named a Fellow of the National Genealogical Society (1992), receiving the initial Filby Prize for Genealogical Librarianship (1999), and being named a Fellow of the Texas State Genealogical Society (2008).

John Martino was born on 27 October 1936 in Brooklyn, New York; he died on 30 November 2015 in Huntington, New York. For more than twenty-two years (1993-2015), he was actively engaged in the field of genealogy. Martino spearheaded an expansive volunteer initiative to assist genealogists and researchers tracing individuals through some of the most populous cities and counties in the United States. As project coordinator, he played a key role in obtaining permission to use these records, fundraising, volunteer recruiting, distribution of copies of records to volunteers, and verification.

He was instrumental in recruiting nearly a thousand volunteers from around the world to work on special projects that involved organizing and deciphering handwritten records, transcribing, creating finding aids, and indexing more than sixteen million records relating to immigration, naturalization, and vital record events. Some of the records that he helped make publicly accessible comprised cemetery, church, court, immigration, military, naturalization, and vital records. They included about 1,600,000 draft registration records from World War II for New York City, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico and 5,317,300 records from the death index (1891-1948) of New York City’s Municipal Archive. Projects that he set in motion continue today.

Martino lectured on many family history topics at public libraries, colleges, and genealogical and historical societies. He especially liked to share the numerous examples of notable Americans that were discovered during his indexing and organizational projects. He was a founding member of the Italian Genealogical Group (IGG), established in 1993, and held many positions with IGG over the years.

Clarence Almon Torrey, FASG, was born 28 August 1869 in Manchester, Iowa; he died 5 February 1962 in Newton, Massachusetts. For forty-one years (1921-1962), he was actively engaged in the field of genealogy. From 1927 until his death, he compiled information on New England marriages. The compilation became a twelve-volume manuscript, titled “New England Marriages Prior to 1700.” It includes approximately 37,000 New England couples and was drawn from many thousands of references from printed sources. First published (without the references) in 1985, the manuscript has gone through many printings, eventually with notated references.

John T. Humphrey, born 16 April 1948 in Penn Argyl, Pennsylvania, died on 12 August 2012 in Washington, D.C. John Humphrey’s most recognized contribution to the field was his Pennsylvania Births series of books that transcribed birth and baptism records from more than a dozen Pennsylvania counties. But more significantly, John had a passion for sharing his knowledge with others in the community. The evidence is his work as the education manager for the National Genealogical Society, his many lectures and articles, and the many years he served as a board member and president of the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society.

John excelled also at sharing his extensive knowledge through his speaking engagements. He attended his first NGS conference in 1990 in Arlington, Virginia, and in just three short years he became a presenter at the 1993 NGS Baltimore conference, teaching others skills to improve their research. John quickly was in demand as a speaker on German and Pennsylvania topics at local, state, national, and international venues. He became an expert in reading old German script, in part by traveling to Germany and taking a course to improve his skills.

John served as president of the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society and as vice president of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. In 2008, the German Embassy asked him to give the keynote address on Germans and their contributions to America at the 400th Anniversary Celebration in Williamsburg, Virginia. This was the same year he became a BCG associate as a Certified Genealogist ® (CG). Two years later, he was honored to be invited to Germany to give a presentation on researching Germans in America. In 2011 he received rave reviews when he taught the first-ever German course at Samford’s Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research.

Whether doing the grunt work of compiling his multivolume Pennsylvania Births series; or making sense of the details in his Understanding and Using Baptismal Records; or unearthing the ancestor charts of Nazi SS officers from Captured German Records housed in the National Archives—John T. Humphrey was up to the challenge of performing research and interpretation to genealogical standards. All who heard his lectures, read his books and articles, or participated in the NGS activities John initiated benefited from his genealogical knowledge and skills.

George Ely Russell, FASG, was born in Niagara Falls, NY, on November 24, 1927. He died in Ijamsville, MD, on January 9, 2013.

In 1955, George started what became a massive output of genealogical articles and books, reaching around 150 publications. From 1970 to 1986 he was the editor of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, bringing it to its highest scholarly standards.

His numerous articles on early Maryland families represent a significant contribution to the literature. As a lecturer at major genealogical conferences, he was an inspiration, mentor and teacher to many aspiring genealogists.

Over the years, George also served on the NGS Council; was a contributing editor for The American Genealogist; and was a founder and 1st president of the Prince George’s County (Md.) Genealogical Society.

He was the recipient of the 1978 NGS Distinguished Service Award; a 1980 Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists; a 1981 Fellow of NGS; and a board-certified associate of the Board for Certification of Genealogists.

George’s dry sense of humor was enjoyed by many. He was dedicated, knowledgeable, and a wonderful friend to those who were fortunate to know him personally. His legacy of accumulated genealogical material will be a valuable resource for generations to come.

George Harrison Sanford King, FASG, (1914-1985) was a resident of Fredericksburg, Virginia, all of his life. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 1935 with a chemistry degree. As a young man he developed an interest in genealogy, emphasizing a scholarly approach to research and documentation. In the 1930s he along with others lobbied the Virginia General Assembly for funds to restore deteriorating records, for which all Virginia researchers are grateful.

He was known as an expert on the complex family relationships of Virginia’s Northern Neck, an area that includes what are often referred to as burned counties. Using numerous sources, he kept extensive notes and transcriptions on early Virginia families. A card index to his more than 100,000 papers is available at the Virginia Historical Society and abstracts are being published in the Magazine of Virginia Genealogy.

As Virginia did not keep early vital records, Mr. King published record abstracts for many church parish records. He also had the foresight to collect and preserve bible records. He published articles in numerous periodicals. In 1947 he was elected a fellow of the American Society of Genealogists. He was active in many societies and was a registrar for Virginia’s Order of the First Families.

He was one of the experts who assisted in the compilation of the first edition, published in 1956, of Adventurers of Purse and Person. This publication has been revised and expanded several times and is considered the bible of early Virginia families.

Mary Smith Fay, FASG, (1915–2000) was one of the country’s most eminent genealogists. She became a professional genealogist after retiring from the Shell Oil Company in 1969. Her research interests spanned the entire Eastern United States from New England to Texas, which led her to author two books and over three dozen articles, all of which highlighted her genealogical research skills. Her professional work included serving as genealogist for the Howard Hughes estate and investigating claims of those purporting to be his heirs. She was active in numerous genealogical societies, and lectured at both local and national genealogical conferences. Mary Fay was born in Burnt Prairie, Illinois on 27 August 1915; she died in Houston, Texas on 7 July 2000.

In 1988 she published the Fay genealogy, Edwin Fay of Vermont and Alabama 1794–1876: His Origins from 1656 and His Descendants to 1987, preceded in 1979 by War of 1812 Veterans in Texas. Numerous articles appeared in the major genealogy journals. Notably, “The Three James Hickmans: Identifying Revolutionary War Veterans,” Virginia Genealogist, 41 (1997): 52–54; “Genealogy of Howard Robard Hughes, Jr.,” National Genealogical Society Quarterly, 71 (1983): 1–12; “Sheltons of Connecticut to Texas,” The Genealogist, 2:1 (Spring 1981): 115–23; and “Some Descendants of Richard and Sarah (Best) Tritton of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and New Haven, Connecticut,” New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 145 (1991): 125–28.

Mary Fay served as president of the Houston Genealogical Forum in 1968; as State Chairman, Lineage Research Committee for the Texas Society, DAR, 1973–1976 and 1979–1981; and as a trustee for the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) 1983–1995. She was certified by BCG in 1974, became a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists in 1997, and an Honorary Admiral, Texas State Navy. In December 2000, the Mary Smith Fay Genealogy Library of the White County Historical Society, Carmi, Illinois, was named in her honor.

The nomination was submitted by the American Society of Genealogists with supporting recognition from the Houston Genealogical Forum and the White County Historical Society.

Peter Stebbins Craig, FASG, was born in Brooklyn, New York, on 30 September 1928 and died in Washington, D.C., on 26 November 2009. A devoted historian and relentless genealogist, he specialized in publishing genealogies of the first European settlers of southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. This settlement, better known as New Sweden, began in 1638 along both sides of the Delaware River. His pioneering research and significant publications on the early Swedish settlers in the Delaware Valley earned him fellowships from both the American Society of Genealogists and the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania in 1991. In recognition of his contributions to Swedish history, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden bestowed on him the title of Knight First Class of the Royal Order of the Polar Star in 2002. He was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 by the Swedish Colonial Society in Philadelphia.

He was the founder of the journal Swedish Colonial News, published by the Swedish Colonial Society. There he published dozens of his articles on Swedish and Finnish in southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He served as both historian and genealogist for the Society. He also chaired the publication committee that initiated the Gloria Dei Church records series titled Colonial Records of the Swedish Churches in Pennsylvania. Now in six volumes, this indispensable reference work details the church records for the years 1646–1768. He left his extensive research collection including books and monographs to the Society. They are adding his research, “The Craig Collection,” to the Society’s website.

As contributing editor for the Swedish American Genealogist, he published numerous articles. Especially notable are his “New Sweden Settlers,” an eight-part series that ran from 1996 to 1999, and “The 1693 Census of Swedes on the Delaware,” a series published 1989 to 1991.

Peter Stebbins Craig received his BA from Oberlin College in 1950 and his law degree from Yale Law School in 1953. Prior to his career in genealogy, he was a lawyer specializing in railway law in various private and government positions. He served on the boards of the Swedish Colonial Society and the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania and often lectured on the “Antient Swedes.”

Photograph courtesy of the Swedish Colonial Society.

Marsha Hoffman Rising, FASG, was born 19 August 1945, in Kansas City, Missouri, and died in Springfield, Missouri on 17 February 2010. For thirty years she served the genealogical community in many roles: as president of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, vice president of the National Genealogical Society, as trustee for the Board for Certification of Genealogists, contributing editor to the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, The American Genealogist, the Federation of Genealogical Societies Forum, and Ozar’Kin, and as a faculty member of Samford University’s Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research. She becomes the thirty-first genealogist to be welcomed to the Hall of Fame.

Through her writing and teaching, Marsha Hoffman Rising enlightened thousands of genealogists. Her publications demonstrated both sound and innovative methods for difficult research problems. Marsha was consistently rated among the best of teachers and her lectures at the major genealogical events helped mold the conference structure into a major educational forum. Her leadership enhanced and guided the genealogical institutions for which she served. She was and continues to be a role model for all facets of genealogy today.

Marsha Rising became a Certified Genealogist® in 1986, and a Certified Genealogical Lecturer in 1989, then served on the Board for Certification of Genealogists as a trustee 1995–1997. The American Society of Genealogists elected her as a Fellow in 1992, where during the years 1998–2007, she served as president, vice president and secretary. The Utah Genealogical Society elected her as a Fellow in 1990. She was one of the founders of the Genealogical Speakers Guild in 1992, and the first elected president.

Her publications include Opening the Ozarks: First Families in Southwest Missouri, 1835–1839 (2005), which traced the lives of the first one thousand pioneers who purchased federal land from the Springfield, Missouri Federal Land Office individuals, Family Tree Problem Solver: Tried and True Tactics for Tracing Elusive Ancestors (2011), and Descendants of Nathan Brown (c1731–1779) of Newberry County, South Carolina, Preble County, Ohio, Coweta County, Georgia and Warren County, Illinois: A Presbyterian Family (2010).

Donald Arleigh Sinclair was born 1 July 1916 in Fredonia, Kansas, and died in Highland Park, New Jersey, on 1 August 2004. For sixty-five years he served the Genealogical Society of New Jersey as trustee, corresponding secretary, vice president and president. He also was editor of the Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey: 1949–1966 and 1969–1973. He becomes the thirtieth genealogist to be welcomed to the Hall of Fame.

Mr. Sinclair was an ardent genealogist, historian, transcriber of gravestone inscriptions from New Jersey’s oldest cemeteries, and bibliographer of New Jerseyana. Although born in Kansas, his love and enthusiasm for New Jersey genealogy identifies him immediately as the core resource for information on New Jersey families. As an undergraduate at Rutgers University, he joined the Genealogical Society of New Jersey in 1936 where he served in every capacity during his tenure with the society. He was named Curator of Special Collections at Rutgers, a position he held for over thirty-six years until his retirement in 1982. Five years later, the New Jersey collection at the Rutgers University Libraries was named for him and is known as the Sinclair New Jersey Collection. For much of the time from 1982 until his death in 2004, he was an avid volunteer at Special Collections, and an outstanding resource for anyone studying New Jersey genealogy; he was unfailingly gracious as he helped each person with their research.

The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey published over fifty articles of Mr. Sinclair’s transcriptions of cemetery and bible records of New Jersey families. Other notable publications include A Guide to Manuscript Diaries and Journals in the Special Collections Department, Rutgers University (1980); New Jersey Family Index: A Guide to the Genealogical Sketches in New Jersey Collective Sources (1991); and A New Jersey Biographical Index: Covering Some 100,000 Biographies and Associated Portraits in 237 New Jersey Cyclopedias, Histories, Yearbooks, Periodicals, and Other Collective Biographical Sources Published to About 1980 (1993).

Florence Harlow Barclay, FASG, was born 5 June 1889 in Whitman, Massachusetts, and died there on 21 December 1980. She was one of the 20th century’s most prolific genealogists. The main body of her work consists of over fifty articles published in The American Genealogist between 1946 and 1971. Although nearly all her work deals with early families of Plymouth Colony, her clear writing style, use of primary source material, and most importantly, her outstanding analytical skills, make her articles models of genealogical problem-solving. Her articles continue to be cited regularly in the works of more recent genealogists. Mrs. Barclay’s body of work ranks her among the top echelon of American genealogists.

Mrs. Barclay’s election as a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists in 1955 and her appointment as a contributing editor to The American Genealogist in 1951 were in part a recognition of her standing as the leading expert on families of Plymouth Colony. She also served as vice president of the American Society of Genealogists in 1964–65, and as chairman of publications and membership committees and one of the founders of the Harlow Family Association.

Among her principal lectures was a presentation on 29 October 1961 in Concord, New Hampshire, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Genealogists, “Rebecca Lapham, wife of Samuel3 White or John3 Washburn?” One of her principal publications was the update of the Massachusetts chapter (with Rachel E. Barclay) in Genealogical Research: Methods and Sources, revised edition (Washington, D.C.: The American Society of Genealogists, 1980), 1:139–150, originally written by Winifred Lovering Holman.

Dr. Earl Gregg Swem, FASG (1870–1965) for thirty-seven years devoted his career to the collection and publication of materials on Virginia and Virginians. He was an assistant librarian at the Virginia State Library for twelve years and then became the head of the William and Mary College Library, from which he retired in 1944.

Earl Gregg Swem is most well known as the compiler of the multi-volume Virginia Historical Index, frequently referred to as the “Swem Index.” This monumental index to a number of publications is an invaluable source for locating information about thousands of Virginia families.

Under his tenure, as librarian of the College of William and Mary, the William and Mary Historical Quarterly was re-established in 1921. While librarian, he actively pursued the acquisition of manuscripts and in twenty-four years he increased the library’s book collection from 25,000 to 240,000 and its 20,000 manuscripts to 400,000. Dr. Swem also compiled a number of comprehensive bibliographies and in addition he educated the public with articles and book reviews in the Richmond Times Dispatch. He helped bridge the fields of genealogy and history.

As an assistant librarian at the Virginia State Library, and later as head of the College of William and Mary Library, he was in a position to educate, and advocate for, the study of local history and families, as well as the preservation and collection of records. The William and Mary Library is the repository for the Earl Gregg Swem Genealogy Collection, Manuscripts and Rare Books Department, and to the present day its immense collection is a valuable resource for historians and genealogists.

Josephine Cosette Mayou Stillman Frost was born April 17, 1864 in Warren, Masschusetts, and died December 31, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York. For more than forty years Josephine Cosette Mayou Stillman Frost became one of the most important contributors to New York genealogy during the first four decades of the twentieth century. She acquired a broad knowledge of early New York families, as reflected in her published genealogies which in many cases remain the most reliable accounts of these families. Although she did much of her work before today’s scholarly standards were fully developed, she recognized the importance of using and citing primary sources, and transcribed and abstracted an enormous number of those sources, particularly from Brooklyn and Long Island. New York genealogists today still rely on her transcripts and abstracts as so much of the information in them can be found nowhere else. She was the first woman to be named a Fellow of The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. Her list of publications is impressive and includes a number devoted to specific families (including Frost) and a number on cemetery and church records. Her unpublished works are now in the NYG&B Collection at the New York Public Library.

Albert Cook Myers (1874–1960) dedicated himself to the early history of Pennsylvania, especially to the history and genealogies of the Quakers. He was nominated by the Historical Society of Chester County, Pennsylvania, and the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. His monumental work on these families resulted in the publication of many well-known books and numerous articles. He left an important and well-sized legacy when he donated his life work to the Chester County Historical Society. Within the collection are transcriptions of marriages, land records, land maps, diaries, cemeteries, and courthouse records, all of which continue to be extremely useful to genealogists

Rosalie Fellows Bailey, FASG, was born 7 August 1908 in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, as the second child of Theodorus and Alice Bailey. Most of her life was spent in New York City, where she died 6 June 1991. She was a leading authority on the history and records of the early families of New York City and the lower Hudson River Valley. Her published work is marked by a thorough knowledge of available source material and a careful analysis of the evidence. She delighted in difficult problems, and her ability to analyze was of the highest order. One can find many articles she wrote in the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Articles can also be found in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly and the Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine.

In 1941, at the young age of thirty-three, Miss Bailey was the first woman elected as a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists. She served as that organization’s secretary from 1953–1957. Two weeks before her death, she was elected a Fellow of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. She was, for many years, the registrar of the Order of Colonial Lords of Manors in America. Her articles and books demonstrated her knowledge and skills as a genealogist and provided important contributions to the field.

Willard Calvin Heiss, FASG (1921–1988) an Indiana Quaker scholar, attended Indiana University and for 25 years was administrator of the Records and Microfilm Division of the City of Indianapolis. He also served as chairman of the Family History Section of the Indiana Historical Society and editor of its publication, Genealogy. He was a pre-eminent authority on Quaker history and genealogy and was a popular lecturer. He wrote genealogical columns for the Indianapolis Times and the Indianapolis News, as well as articles for a number of genealogical periodicals. He is perhaps most well known for the seven volumes of abstracts of all Indiana Quaker monthly meetings established before 1875, that he published over a fifteen year period.

Born in 1936, Lowell Volkel was a Danville, Illinois High School teacher whose interest in genealogy began at an early age. He moved to Springfield in 1970 to become an archivist at the Illinois State Archives. Few know how much influence he had with his work there. From the time he joined the Archives staff in 1970 until his death, he worked with the Illinois State Genealogical Society, the Illinois State Archives, and various record keepers, to make Illinois records available for research. He set a precedent for other states to follow and influenced their attitudes towards record access.

In addition to his many publications, Lowell was also founder and first president of the Illinois State Genealogical Society, and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 1993. He taught genealogy classes and was a frequent genealogy speaker and lectured in the 1970s at the National Archives Institute on Genealogy in Washington, DC. He died in 1992 at the young age of 56, but his efforts for over three decades had an impact that would shape the future of records access nationally.

Walter Lee Sheppard, Jr., FASG (1911–2000) a resident of Pennsylvania and a chemical engineer, was nominated by the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. His primary areas of genealogical research were New England, the Mid-Atlantic States, and feudal British genealogy. His publications adhered as closely as possible to original records. He had an acute power of analysis and many of his articles provided lessons in genealogical research for novices. He insisted on documentation and was very emphatic about this in his book reviews. In addition to being a writer and contributing editor for the Pennsylvania Genealogy Magazine and the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, he lectured at some of the early national conferences.

He was elected a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists (ASG) in 1944, the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania in 1965, and the National Genealogical Society in 1976. He was a founding trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists and later served as President from 1970–78. He also served as president of ASG from 1970–73. Lee played an important part in the establishment of several lineage societies such as the Welcome Society, Descendants of the Illegitimate Sons and Daughters of the Kings and Queens of Britain (better known as Royal Bastards), and the Flagon and Trencher, a society for descendants of colonial tavern keepers. His varied contributions helped shape modern genealogical studies.

Dr. Kenn Stryker-Rodda, FASG, FNGS (7 July 1903–29 June 1990), a resident of New Jersey most of his life, was nominated by the American Society of Genealogists, the Genealogical Society of New Jersey, and the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. He was a pioneer genealogical educator and lecturer, and authored many books and articles. In 1964 he served as a Charter Trustee for the Board for Certification of Genealogists. Dr. Stryker-Rodda also served as president of the Genealogical Society of New Jersey, the American Society of Genealogists, and the National Genealogical Society. He spent more than thirty years as an associate editor, first with the Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey and later with the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Between 1960 and 1981, he was elected a fellow of six societies—the American Society of Genealogists, the National Genealogical Society, the Genealogical Society of New Jersey, the Holland Society of New York, the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society and the New Jersey Historical Society.

Dr. Stryker-Rodda’s area of expertise was early New York and New Jersey. He wrote numerous genealogical articles, and compiled a number of family genealogies and volumes of source records, either as sole author or with a colleague. His contributions to the field were many and varied.

During the early twentieth century, Mary Lovering Holman, FASG (1868–1947) published, as sole author, or coauthor, a series of compiled genealogies on New England Families. These included The Scott Genealogy; The Ancestors and Descendants of Robert Clements of Leicestershire and Warwickshire, England; Ancestors and Descendants of John Coney of Boston, England and Boston, Massachusetts; Ancestors and Descendants of Philip Bullen of Jersey, England, and Charlestown, Massachusetts; and Descendants of William Sherman of Marshfield, Massachusetts. Each was a model of sound genealogical judgment and painstaking research in original records.

Mrs. Holman had a long career as a professional genealogist, and the quality of her work placed her at the forefront of her peers. Her genealogical manuscripts from her many years of work as a professional genealogist, consisting of about 1,200 families, are at the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston. In 1941 she was the 11th person to be inducted as a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists.

Herbert Furman Seversmith, Ph.D., FASG, FNGS (1904–1967) was originally named Herbert Francis Smith, but he had his name legally changed in 1936 when he assumed a surname based on his Dutch immigrant ancestor Claes Severtszen Smith. He joined the National Genealogical Society in 1929 and served in a number of capacities including president (1952–1953). In 1942 he was elected as the thirty-first Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists. Sixteen years later, in 1958, he was elected a Fellow of the National Genealogical Society.

Dr. Seversmith’s area of expertise was Colonial Long Island. His contributions to the field included the Ancestry of Roger Ludlow; Colonial Families of Long Island New York, New York, and Connecticut, Being the Ancestry and Kindred of Herbert Furman Seversmith; a sub-chapter on Long Island resources in Genealogical Methods and Sources; and Long Island Genealogical Source Material: A Bibliography, written with Kenn Stryker-Rodda. Important periodical articles included “George Norton of Salem, Massachusetts, and His Supposed Connection with the Norton Family of Sharpenhoe, Bedfordshire” The American Genealogist 15 (April 1939): 193–207; “The Fabulous Pearsals,” The American Genealogist 18 (October 1941, January 1942): 78–90, 153–171; and “The Parentage of Theunis Gijsbertszen Bogaert” National Genealogical Society Quarterly 55 (June 1967): 89–91.

Milton Rubincam, FASG, FNGS (1909–1997) was one of the most prominent and influential genealogists of the 20th Century. He was actively engaged in the field of genealogy for 67 years, publishing many periodical articles, lecturing at countless conferences and seminars and serving as an officer in several major genealogical organizations. He was also a lecturer for the Samford University Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research and the Smithsonian Institute, and lecturer and director for the National Institute on Genealogical Research for the National Archives.

Mr. Rubincam edited more than 171 articles and monographs, including Genealogical Research Methods and Sources, Vol. 1, rev. ed., Pitfalls in Genealogical Research, and authored In Search of Pennsylvania Germans: Sources for Family History and Genealogical Research in Pennsylvania and Delaware, as well as countless periodical articles and book chapters. He was editor of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly from 1945–1948 and 1953–1954, as well as editor of The Pennsylvanian, book review editor for the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, 1957–1962, and contributing editor of The American Genealogist. Offices that Mr. Rubincam held include president, vice president and secretary-treasurer of the American Society of Genealogists; president and chairman of the Board for Certification of Genealogists; president of the National Genealogical Society; president of the Pennsylvania Historical Junto; and honorary vice-president of the Ontario Genealogical Society. He also founded the Pennsylvania Historical Junto and the Ontario Genealogical Society.

Hannah Benner Roach, FASG (1907–1976) was an editor, officer, director, and fellow of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. Her early and continued association with the Society led to extensive writing, teaching and lecturing on genealogical sources and methods, always emphasizing the principles of accurate documentation. Ms. Roach published extensively for the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, including many articles in the Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine. She was also a research associate for the William Penn Papers from 1969 through 1975. Forty-one volumes of the Hannah Benner Roach Collection exist at the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania—a testament to her dedicated work. Additionally, her unpublished writings include Names from Philadelphia Newspapers to About 1800, compiled on more than 7,800 cards and donated to the American Philosophical Society.

Ms. Roach was also an applicant reviewer for the Board for Certification of Genealogists, a genealogist for the Sons of the American Revolution, the Society of Colonial Wars, and various family organizations, and editor of the Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine. Devoted to the highest standards of research and genealogical society volunteerism, she received many awards, including the Herbert C. Rorer Award from the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the American Revolution in 1965 for The Pennsylvania Militia in 1777 and the Award Medal from the Carpenters’ Company of the City and County of Philadelphia in 1976 for work in updating the biographies of its founders.

Richard Stephen Lackey, FASG (1941–1983) of Jackson and Forest, Mississippi, was nominated by the American Society of Genealogists. Richard Lackey made his mark in many areas of genealogy. He was an author/compiler of standards for genealogical writing, and of Mississippi source material. He lectured extensively, and served on the faculty of the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research at Samford University for many years. In addition, he was a founder and officer of the Houston Genealogical Institute and the Association for Genealogical Education. For eight years, he served as the editor of the Mississippi Genealogical Exchange.

His work exemplified the highest standards of competent research and scholarly citation of sources. His books Cite Your Sources: A Manual for Documenting Family Histories and Genealogical Records (1980) and Write it Right (1983), co-authored with Donald R. Barnes, promote proper documentation of sources within family histories and genealogical papers. Other important works authored by Richard Lackey include the Lackey Family History (1958), The Southern U.S. Frontier Family: A Challenge (1980), The Value of Genealogy and Family History Research (1980), and the article “The Genealogist’s First Look at Federal Land Records” (1977) that appeared in Prologue. At the time of his death, Richard was President of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, a council member of NGS, Program Chairman of the 1983 Fort Worth NGS Conference, and the NGS National Conference Committee Chairman, involved in planning future conferences.

Rabbi Malcolm H. Stern, FASG, FNGS (1915–1994) was nominated by the American Society of Genealogists, the Jewish Genealogical Society of New York, and twenty-four other Jewish genealogical societies. Rabbi Stern was a founder of the first Jewish Genealogical Society in America, the New York-based Jewish Genealogical Society, Inc., and served as its president from 1979 to 1984 and from 1986 to 1989. Under his leadership similar Jewish societies came to be established worldwide resulting in over seventy societies as of 1999.

He exercised an extraordinary influence in practically every area of modern genealogy. He was elected fellow of the American Society of Genealogists in 1965. He served as its treasurer 1966–1968, secretary 1968–1973, vice president 1973–1976, and president 1976–1979. He was elected fellow of the National Genealogical Society in 1979 and fellow of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society in 1993. He was vice president for external affairs of the Federation of Genealogical Societies 1985–1988 and genealogical representative to the U.S. National Archives Advisory Council 1977–1987. During the period 1980–1984 Rabbi Stern founded and served as the first chairman of the Genealogical Coordinating Committee, a nationally recognized genealogical advisory group made up of representatives of the major U.S. genealogical societies. His many books and articles included The Function of Genealogy in American Jewish History (1958) and First American Jewish Families: 600 Genealogies, 1654–1977 (1978). In 1988 he was honored by being awarded the prestigious George Williams Award by the Federation of Genealogical Societies “For Outstanding Contributions to the F.G.S. and the Genealogical Community.”

James Dent Walker, FNGS (9 June 1928–6 October 1993) of Washington, D.C., was nominated by the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (National), Washington, D.C., the Prince George’s County, Maryland Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, the District of Columbia Genealogical Society, the Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Chicago, and the International Society of Sons & Daughters of Slave Ancestry. The Federation of Genealogical Societies endorsed his nomination. Mr. Walker was the founder and a president of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (National) which, in 1999, has twenty-three chapters throughout the United States. He was also the founder and a president of the District of Columbia Genealogical Society. He was a fellow and second vice president of the National Genealogical Society. During his thirty years of employment at the National Archives and Records Service, Mr. Walker served as a genealogist, research consultant, Supervisor of Military Records, Director of Local History and Genealogical Programs, and Director of the Institute of Genealogical Research at American University. He was particularly noted for his knowledge of military and pension records covering the period of the Revolutionary War through the Civil War. In addition he exhibited an outstanding ability to uncover sources of genealogical importance to persons of African American descent engaged in researching their family lineage. Mr. Walker’s principal publications included Black Genealogy: How to Begin and portions of the National Archives publication Ethnic Genealogy with Jessie C. Smith, ed. He also helped Alex Haley with genealogical research that later became the basis for Haley’s best selling saga, Roots. Following his government retirement in 1986, James Walker lectured extensively and served as a research consultant to numerous historical and genealogical organizations.

Dr. Jean Stephenson, FASG (29 August 1892–22 January 1979) of Waco, Tex., and Washington, D.C. was nominated by the American Society of Genealogists and the National Institute on Genealogical Research. Her educational accomplishments included J.D., L.L.M., M.P.L., and S.J.D. degrees from the National University Law School. She was a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia. Jean Stephenson was a pioneer genealogical educator who played a major role in the establishment and growth of institutions critical to the field today. Her principal activities included the American Society of Genealogists (fellow and secretary), the National Genealogical Society (fellow, councilor, chairman of publications, editor of the NGS Quarterly), the Board for Certification of Genealogists (cofounder and president), the Institute on Genealogical Research (co-director), Samford University’s Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (founding instructor), the National Society DAR (chairman of the Genealogical Advisory Committee of the Registrar General), American Association for State and Local History (charter member and councilor), Society of American Archivists (charter member), and numerous others. Dr. Stephenson’s publications included Heraldry for the American Genealogist (NGS Special Publication no. 25), Scotch-Irish Migration to South Carolina, 1772: Rev. William Martin and His Five Shiploads of Settlers, and her extensive work as associate editor of Genealogical Research: Methods and Sources (first edition).

John Insley Coddington, FASG (30 June 1902–10 May 1991), of Nice, France, and Bordentown, New Jersey, was nominated for election to the National Genealogy Hall of Fame by the American Society of Genealogists. Mr Coddington, A.B., A.M., Harvard, was one of the most widely known and distinguished genealogists of the 20th century. He has been described as the Dean of American Genealogists following the death of Donald Lines Jacobus in 1970. He was a prolific writer, sharing his research in more than 200 articles in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, the American Genealogist, the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, and various other genealogical publications. He became one of the foremost exponents of documentary evidence and gained an international reputation through his published research on pre-American ancestors and royal and noble genealogy. Mr. Coddington was a co-founder of the American Society of Genealogists, an editor
of the NGS Quarterly, and a linguist fluent in French, German, Italian, and Spanish. He lectured on history at various times at Harvard, Olivet, Swarthmore, and Haverford Colleges and was one of the most respected and popular speakers at national and local genealogical gatherings. Often honored during his lifetime, John Coddington was a fellow of the American Society of Genealogists, the National Genealogical Society, the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, the Texas State Genealogical Society, and the Society of Genealogists of London.

Mr. Coddington’s photograph, taken in 1986 by Jackie McDaniel at the NGS Conference in the States in Columbus, Ohio, is printed with permission of NGS.

George Ernest Bowman (5 January 1860–5 September 1941), of Manchester, New Hampshire, and Boston, Massachusetts, was nominated for election to the National Genealogy Hall of Fame by the General Society of Mayflower Descendants and the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Illinois. Mr. Bowman, B.A., Yale, Class of 1883, has been described as the greatest genealogical scholar of Plymouth Colony. He was the founding secretary of the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants from 1896 to 1941. In 1897 he was one of the founders of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. He was the founding editor of The Mayflower Descendant: A Quarterly Magazine of Pilgrim Genealogy and History from 1899 to 1937. Mr. Bowman’s 45 years of research on Mayflower descendants served as a standard for other researchers and provided extensive material for publication and further research. His numerous publications and files were the basis for the mammoth Five Generations Project of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. The Bowman File microfiche collection of the Massachusetts Society contains over 20,000 pages of research data from the Bowman manuscript collection of pilgrim genealogies. Since 1996 is the centennial year of the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, it is especially appropriate that its distinguished founder, George Ernest Bowman, has been elected to the National Genealogy Hall of Fame.

Mr. Bowman’s photograph (ca. 1931) is printed with permission of the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants.

Colonel Joseph Lemuel Chester (30 April 1821–26 May 1882), of Norwich, Connecticut, was nominated for election to the National Genealogy Hall of Fame by the Maine Genealogical Society. Colonel Chester, LL.D., D.C.L., is the only American genealogist and antiquarian commemorated with a tablet at Westminster Abbey and the only genealogist honored by Oxford University with an honorary degree specifically recognizing his genealogical achievements. Columbia College also awarded him an honorary doctorate in recognition of those achievements. His specialty was the systematic examination of English records to develop the origins of American settlers. His 24 years of research in England made him a pioneer in the transcription of entire classes of records, such as parish registers, resulting in over 100 large volumes. Colonel Chester devoted a large portion of his time in England to an annotated transcript of the entire Register of Marriages, Baptisms, and Burials in Westminster Abbey, which was published in 1876 by the Harleian Society, and for which Queen Victoria complimented him. While he was conducting his research he was recognized as the outstanding authority in the field of Angle-American genealogy, and he was elected fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He was appointed to his ever treasured military rank of colonel while serving the governor of Pennsylvania during the 1850s.

Archibald Fowler Bennett, FASG (17 March 1896–28 August 1965), of American Fork, Utah, was nominated for election to the National Genealogy Hall of Fame by the Genealogical Society of Utah. Mr. Bennett, B.A., M.A., University of Utah, served as General Secretary of the Genealogical Society of Utah from 1928 to 1961. For more than thirty years he was also head librarian of what became the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. He was largely responsible for beginning the genealogical records microfilming program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He began the system of branch genealogical libraries (now called Family History Centers) to make records available to researchers everywhere. A prolific author and popular educator, Bennett also developed the use of the pedigree chart and family group sheet, the forms still used by researchers today. In 1961 he was elected a fellow of the American Society of Genealogists. Most genealogists, sitting at microfilm readers in more than 2,000 family history centers found worldwide, may not have heard of Archibald Bennett, but they are deeply influenced by him. In this, the centennial year of the Genealogical Society of Utah, it is fitting that this unique man, who gave so much to the entire genealogical community, has been elected to the National Genealogy Hall of Fame.

Henry FitzGilbert Waters (29 March 1833–16 August 1913) of Salem Massachusetts, was nominated for election to the National Genealogy Hall of Fame by the Maine Genealogical Society. Mr. Waters was a graduate of the Harvard College Class of 1855 and the recipient of an honorary M.A. degree from Harvard in 1885 in recognition of his work as an eminent antiquary. Following his service in the Civil War and a period as as educator and superintendent of the public schools of Salem he embarked upon what was to become the major focus of his genealogical pursuits. For nearly two decades he served in England as an agent of the New England Historic Genealogical Society researching English records relating to the pedigrees of colonial Americans. His significant findings were published in almost every issue of the New England Historical and Genealogical Register from July 1883 to January 1899 and included final determinations of the ancestries of John Harvard, George Washington, and Roger Williams. George Andrews Moriarty, Jr. (elected to the National Genealogy Hall of Fame in 1990) wrote in the Essex Institute’s memoir of Henry FitzGilbert Waters (Essex Institute Historical Collections 50 (1914): 1–5) that “The death of Henry FitzGilbert Waters marked the close of an epoch in the development of American antiquarianism for he was man who found the study of genealogy and antiquities among us an art and left it a science.”

Meredith Bright Colket, Jr., FASG (1912–1985), of Strafford, Pennsylvania, and Cleveland Heights, Ohio, was nominated for election to the NGS Hall of Fame by the Western Reserve Historical Society of Cleveland, Ohio. Meredith Colket, A.B., A.M., Haverford College, Litt.D., Baldwin-Wallace College, was an archivist and genealogy specialist at the National Archives, founder and first director of what is now called the National Institute on Genealogical Research in Washington, D.C., and a fellow of the American Society of Genealogists, the National Genealogical Society, the Society of American Archivists, and the Society of Genealogists, London. He was executive director and executive director emeritus of the Western Reserve Historical Society, a founding member of the American Association for State and Local History, vice-chairman of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, and associate editor of both The American Genealogist and the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. His numerous published works included Founders of Early American Families, Guide to Genealogical Records in the National Archives, with Frank E. Bridgers, and Creating a Worthwhile Family Genealogy. Dr. Colket’s distinguished leadership and achievements were highly significant in the development of high standards in American genealogical research.

Lucy Mary Kellogg, FASG (1899–1973) of Janesville, Wisconsin, and Brighton, Michigan, was nominated for election to the National Genealogy Hall of Fame by the Michigan Genealogical Council and separately endorsed by thirty-two genealogical and historical societies in Michigan. She was also nominated by the Genealogical Society of Utah, the Illinois State Genealogical Society, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, the Central New York Genealogical Society, and the Louisa St. Clair Chapter, NSDAR. Ms. Kellogg, B.A., University of Wisconsin, was the editor of the Five Generations Project for the General Society of Mayflower Descendants during the latter years of her life. She was a founder of the Michigan Genealogical Council, a charter trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, a fellow of the American Society of Genealogists, editor of the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research Magazine, and the author of numerous genealogical articles. Lucy Mary Kellogg’s tireless efforts to raise the standards of genealogical research by her many lectures, her published work, and her selfless devotion to local genealogical societies, as well as to the larger, nationally known organizations, have touched the lives of amateurs and professionals alike.

George Andrews Moriarty, Jr., FASG (1883–1968) of Newport, Rhode Island, and Ogunquit, Maine, was nominated for election to the National Genealogy Hall of Fame by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, and the American Society of Genealogists, Washington, D.C. George Moriarty, A.B., M.A., LL.B. Harvard, began his career with the U.S. Department of State foreign service and later practiced law. Beginning in 1927, he devoted the rest of his life to historical and genealogical study in which he achieved international eminence as an authority on English and Norman medieval families. As a result of his research, a stream of articles flowed from his pen. His articles published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register numbered 134, and he provided more than 75 articles to The American Genealogist. His many scholarly writings, some highly critical, often appeared in more than fifteen other publications in the United States and abroad. Some of his material remains in manuscript in George Andrews Moriarty Collection at the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston. Often honored during his lifetime, he was a fellow of the American Society of Genealogists, the Society of Genealogists, London, and the Society of Antiquaries London. He was a founder and the first president of the Descendants of the Illegitimate Sons and Daughters of the Kings of Britain.

John Farmer (1789–1838), of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and his adopted state of New Hampshire, was nominated by the Maine Genealogical Society. John Farmer, M.A., Dartmouth College, is recognized as the first genealogical scholar in the United States. One of his greatest achievements was the publication of the Genealogical Register of the First Settlers of New England in 1829. His lasting influence on genealogy was early recognized by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, which began the first issue of its Register in January 1847 with a portrait and memoir of Mr. Farmer. In that issue, John Farmer was referred to as the most distinguished genealogist and antiquary of this country and as the father of genealogy in New England.

Gilbert Cope (1840–1928), of Chester County, Pennsylvania, was nominated by The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. He has been called “the father of genealogical research in Pennsylvania” and he was the leading authority of his time on Quaker genealogy. His contribution to genealogy went beyond his published family genealogies; he did more than anyone before him to preserve Quaker records and make them available to other researchers. Much of his work remains in manuscript and is preserved in the collections of The Historical Society of Pennsylvania and The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The work of Gilbert Cope exemplifies the genealogical standards expected of and practiced by serious genealogists today.

Walter Goodwin Davis, FASG (1885–1966), of Portland, Maine, was nominated by the American Society of Genealogists and the Maine Genealogical Society. Recognized as one of the leaders of the modern school of genealogy in the United States, he was described as “demonstrating the diligence, discipline and investigative skills of historical scholarship at its best.” He was a graduate of the University and Harvard Law School. His many books and articles early demonstrated how one should conduct research in original source materials, assemble the evidence, evaluate it, and present it in standard format. During his lifetime, he published separate volumes on the ancestries of each of his sixteen great-great-grandparents. In 1985, on the occasion of the centennial of his birth, the Maine Genealogical Society published Danny D. Smith’s, Walter Goodwin Davis: A Scholar’s Unique Contribution to New England Genealogy, with An Index to the Principal Surnames in His Works.

Donald Lines Jacobus, FASG (1887–1970), of New Haven, Connecticut, was the first person elected to the National Genealogy Hall of Fame. He was nominated for this honor by the American Society of Genealogists, the Genealogical Society of Utah, and the DuPage County (IL) Genealogical Society. During his lifetime, Jacobus was widely regarded as the dean of American genealogists, and he is recognized as the founder of the modern school of genealogy in the United States. He was the editor and publisher of The American Genealogist for forty-three years, and he may have been the most prolific genealogical writer of any generation. His writings include the classic, Genealogy as Pastime and Profession. On his death, he was described by his colleague Milton Rubincam, as “the man who more than any other single individual elevated genealogy to the high degree of scholarship it now occupies.”