State Academy Of History Honors

Wayne Wright, NYSHA Librarian

Wayne Wright of Oneonta, retired head librarian at the New York State Historical Association Library, has received the New York Academy of History’s Herbert H. Lehman Distinguished Service Award for his contributions in his role at NYSHA.

The award was presented last Thursday at the Academy’s gala at the Cosmopolitan Club in New York City.

The medallion bears the image of Governor Lehman, who served in the state’s highest office from 1933 to 1942 and as a U. S. senator from 1949 to 1957.

Garet Livermore, former NYSHA vice president and now executive director of the Sagamore Institute of the Adirondacks (Camp Sagamore) presented the medallion.

Other local attendees included CGP Director Gretchen Sorin, who presented the Distinguished Service Award to Cordell Reaves, African-American historian for the state Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Sites, a CGP student when Wright headed the NYSHA library.

In 40 years at the NYSHA Library in Cooperstown, Wright helped build the research collection of historical materials, make the collection accessible to the public, and guide researchers to the material they required.  He currently volunteers in the book conservation program, and volunteers at the Greater Oneonta Historical Society.