Ours is a special organization. Its membership includes talented and accomplished individuals from transportation and logistics firms, finance, the public sector, and the academic community. What brings us together is our mutual interest in the history of the great transportation enterprises that have built our nation and continue to shape the world around us. One of the most important things that our organization can do is to preserve the legacy of what past generations have accomplished.
Like any worthwhile endeavor, the study of railroad history requires a substantial investment in time and money. This is where the Lexington Group – and you – can provide that vital assistance. At our 2018 Chicago meeting, many of you heard Don Hofsommer’s moving tribute to Richard C. Overton, one of the greatest of the transportation historians. In 2006 the Lexington Group honored Dick Overton’s legacy by establishing the Richard C. Overton Research Prizes. Under the direction of Simon Cordery, John Friedmann, and Ron Goldfeder, the Overton Committee awards prizes of up to $4,000 to support research and publication in the field of transportation history.
Over the past year, the members of the Overton Committee have encountered a happy situation. There has been a bumper crop of proposals, ten of which were funded, but only with token amounts ranging from $500 to $1,000. The number and variety of outstanding proposals shows that transportation history is alive and well, and is destined for a bright future.
The downside? To adequately fund each of these outstanding projects will require more money than the Lexington Group has traditionally budgeted for the Overton awards. Many of you pledged your support for the Overton Award when you paid your annual dues, and we thank you for your contribution.
Please help the Lexington Group to fully fund the Overton prizes. Any contribution will produce a substantial return on your investment. Many recipients have observed that merely listing their status as an Overton honoree on their c.v. or resume has helped them to secure additional funding, or has increased their visibility on the job market. A number of superb scholarly works – including Tony Reevy’s book on the photography of Jack Delano and John Gruber’s profile of Lucius Beebe and Charles Clegg – have benefitted from Overton funding.
Will you please help us to support the future of the Overton Prizes? Any amount is welcome, no matter how large or how small. And, because the Lexington Group is a 501(c)3 organization, all contributions are tax deductible. Contributions should be directed to:
Lexington Group for Transportation History | PO Box 684 | Brownsburg, IN 46112
Please clearly mark your check “Overton Prize Donation”
If you would like to donate using your credit card please use this link:
Thank you for your kind attention to this matter, and we hope that we can count on your support!