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18 Honored with Awards Before 3,500 Members and Guests at the Daughters of the American Revolution's 133rd Continental Congress


Honorees included Admiral Linda Fagan, U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, who received the DAR Patriot Award, CeCe Moore, prominent forensic genealogist, who received the DAR Medal of Honor, and Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, who received the DAR History Award Medal

WASHINGTON, July 11, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Saturday, June 29 marked the final gala awards ceremony of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) 133rd Continental Congress as 3,500 DAR members and guests gathered at the DAR Washington, D.C. headquarters, near the White House. There was celebration and organizational business during the weeklong Continental Congress, along with recognition of excellence with 18 awards bestowed to distinguished persons and students for historic preservation, education and patriotism, the three pillars of the DAR mission.

"As part of our mission to preserve and promote American history, education, and patriotism, DAR is honored to share the stories and work of so many deserving individuals, whether it's over a long professional career or students who give us such hope for the future of our great country."

June 29 was the National Defense Night Ceremony and Admiral Linda Fagan, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), was keynote speaker. She was recognized for her service to our country with the DAR Patriot Award, which was established following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on America to honor a person who provides extraordinary service to protect America's freedom. Admiral Fagan is the first woman to hold the Commandant position of the USCG and oversees all global USCG operations, including 42,000 active-duty, 7,000 reserve, 8,700 civilian personnel, and 21,000 Auxiliary volunteers.

During this ceremony, the DAR commemorated the 80th Anniversary of D-Day with a special presentation and honored 100-year-old WWII veteran and DAR member Marjorie Stone with the President General's Medallion.

Other military-related awards bestowed on Saturday evening were:

Thursday evening, June 27 featured multiple awards recognizing excellence in education, one of which was DAR's award for Outstanding Teacher of American History earned by Lois MacMillan.

A high school educator in Grants Pass, Ore., MacMillan's 30-year career has spanned kindergarten through high school, teaching American History, AP Government and Politics, and World History. MacMillan received the Grammy Museum's Jane Ortner Education Award in 2018 for creating a six-lesson, 8th grade history unit based on the music of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway hit, "Hamilton." She also facilitated teaching a Founding Era curriculum to over 750 Title I high schools in 14 cities nationwide.

Awards were given for the DAR American History Essay Contest in which students drafted a mock newspaper article reporting on the new John Philip Sousa march in 1897, "The Stars and Stripes Forever." Winners were: Kate Womack, a 5th grader from Utah; Dheer Mehrotra, a 6th grader from Georgia; Jackson Nerenberg, a 7th grader from Ohio; and Ananya Mandrekar, an 8th grader from New Jersey.

The DAR Patriots of the American Revolution Essay Contest winner was Hansika Lenkala from East Granby, Conn. The DAR Good Citizens Scholarship Award was won by Christina Gogzheyan from Cold Spring, Ky.

The DAR 2024 Continental Congress Opening Night Ceremony, Wednesday, June 27, featured a performance by Mark Schneider, a Marquis de Lafayette historical interpreter who the Parisian magazine, Le Figaro, has noted as portraying one of the top Napoleons in film, ahead of Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix. The following award winners were recognized:

"Continental Congress is always a busy but exhilarating series of days, and our award presentations are a particularly gratifying and enjoyable part of the experience," said Pamela Wright, DAR President General. "As part of our organization's mission to preserve and promote American history, education, and patriotism, DAR is honored to share the stories and work of so many deserving individuals, whether it's over a long professional career or students who give us such hope for the future of our great country. It is our absolute pleasure to spotlight their excellent work impacting all of us across the nation."

About the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)
One of the largest patriotic women's service organizations in the world, DAR has 190,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters across the country and several foreign countries. DAR members promote historic preservation, education and patriotism via commemorative events, scholarships and educational initiatives, citizenship programs, service to veterans, meaningful community service and more. For additional information about DAR and its relevant mission, visit http://www.dar.org.

Media Contact

Bren Landon, Daughters of the American Revolution, 202-572-0563, [email protected], https://www.dar.org/

SOURCE Daughters of the American Revolution



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