CIVIL WAR PRESERVATION TRUST ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2003 PRESERVATION AWARDS

(Washington, D.C.) - At its annual conference in April, the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) announced the winners of its 2003 Preservation Awards. The awards were created to honor individuals and organizations for their exemplary dedication to the cause of Civil War preservation.

"We are engaged in a struggle to save America's Civil War legacy," remarked CWPT President James Lighthizer. "Without the kind of commitment displayed by this year's recipients, many Civil War-related sites will be little more than a memory within a few years."

The 11 Preservation Awards were presented during a banquet at the beautiful Crowne Plaza Hotel in Richmond, Virginia. During the ceremony, Lighthizer stressed the need for cooperation among preservationists, and stated that he was proud to recognize a few of CWPT's many partners with these awards.

The awards presented by Lighthizer at the conference were:

· The Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award was posthumously awarded to Carrington Williams, a lifelong preservationist and first chairman of CWPT. The award is named after Chief Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service Edwin C. Bearss, the nation's best known Civil War historian and scholar.

· The Carrington Williams Battlefield Preservationist of the Year Award was presented to Dean Shultz of Gettysburg, Pa., for his commitment to preserving Civil War battlegrounds and sites related to the Gettysburg campaign.

· The National Leadership Award was presented to U.S. Congressmen Gary G. Miller (R-Calif.), Alan B. Mollohan (D-W.Va.) and George Radanovich (R-Calif.) for their commitment to Civil War battlefield preservation in Congress.

· The State Leadership Award was presented to Virginia Secretary of Transportation Whittington "Whitt" Clement for his outstanding leadership in the Old Dominion.

· The Preservation Organization of the Year Award was presented to the Piedmont Environmental Council for its promotion of battlefield preservation in Virginia, and its help at Mine Run and Chancellorsville.

· Preservation Legacy Awards were presented to Centex Homes and Dr. Robert B. Pamplin, Jr. Centex Homes received the award for donating 127 acres of core battlefield to create Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park; Dr. Robert B. Pamplin, Jr. received the award for creating the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier and Pamplin Historical Park.

· The Preservationist Teacher of the Year Award was presented to Carolyn Ivanoff of Shelton, CT, for her outstanding commitment to promoting battlefield preservation in the classroom. Ivanhoff is a teacher at Shelton High School.

· The Civil War Discovery Trail Site of the Year Award was presented to the Museum of Culpeper History in Culpeper, Virginia for its outstanding commitment to preserving and promoting America's Civil War heritage. The Civil War Discovery Trail is one of 16 national millennium trails in the U.S.

In praising the recipients, Lighthizer remarked, "These award winners are among the true guardians of our nation's Civil War heritage. Their efforts are helping to preserve the last tangible reminders of sacrifices made by those who donned the Blue and Gray."

With 43,000 members, CWPT is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States. Its mission is to preserve our nation's endangered Civil War battlefields and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds through education and heritage tourism.

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