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ASM's 2003 William B. Marye Award
Louise Akerson
Louise Akerson has been a significant contributor to the advancement of archeology
in Maryland. As a former Archeological Curator of the Baltimore Center for
Urban Archeology, she played a central role in setting up exhibits, running
educational programs for the general public, conducting archeological excavations,
authoring reports, and providing training and volunteer opportunities for
both professional and avocational archeologists in Maryland. Prior to her
association witht he Baltimore Center for Urban Archeology, she earned a degree
in the Ancient Studies Department at the Univesity of Maryland-Baltimore County
and worked on several archeological projects including the Highway Archeology
Program of the Maryland Geological Survey.
Louise has held a number of leadership positions in archeological organizations: The Archeological Society of Maryland, Inc., the Council for Maryland Archeology, Inc., and the Middle Atlantic Archeology Conference. During her term as president of the Council for Maryland Archeoogy she successfully promoted the creation of Maryland Archeology Week (later expanded to a month), and she subsequently organized an annual awards ceremony at the State House for school children winners in the Maryland Archeology Month Poster Contest.
She has been active in various capacities with the Upper Patuxent Archeology Group for many years. She represented the Maryland archeological community as a member of the Govenor's Task Force on the Preservation and Enhancement of Mayland's Heritage resources. Louise continues to serve on the Maryland Historic Trust's Advisory Committee on Archeology, a responsibility she has faithfully carried out for over 6 years.
Louise has also undertaken the important job of serving as Grants Administrator
for ASM for many years, a role which requires hard work and frequent prodding
of co-workers, but receives little credit. The Grants Administrator plays a
critical role in the coordination and procurement of funding for key events
like Maryland Archeology Month, celebrated each April, and the Annual Field
Session in Maryland Archeology. As Grants Administrator, she has also coordinated
and kept track of various research projects, often conducted in corrdination
with the Maryland Historic Trust, ranging from the publication of Dennis Curry's
"Feast of the Dead" to a survey of human remains in state collections, to assessing
the state of collections and records derived frompast ASM Field Sessions.
Louise Akerson has been at the forefront of efforts in Maryland to educate the genral public about the importance of archeology and our past. She has pushed to make the Archeological Society of Maryland an organization that carries out its responsonsibilities in a professional, timely manner. Her good nature, rock-solid dependability, and tireless efforts in this regard, combined with her contributions in urban archeological research make Louise a truly deserving William B. Marye Award winner.