Philip J. Webster of St. Michaels, Maryland received the National Maritime Historical Society’s Sheet Anchor Award last Thursday (October 26) at a sold-out black-tie awards dinner at the prestigious New York Yacht Club. The award is given annually for extraordinary service to the American maritime heritage community.
The National Maritime Historical Society’s mission is to educate Americans about our nation’s extraordinary maritime accomplishments and their continuing relevance in shaping America’s national prosperity and cultural vitality, and to promote the work of its national maritime heritage community.
The award was presented “in recognition of [Mr. Webster’s] vision, unwavering dedication, extraordinary leadership and talent promoting the significance of our maritime heritage, and advancing the greater cause of America’s maritime heritage organizations.”
Mr. Webster is the Founding Chairman of the National Maritime Awards Dinner, which next April holds its 8th annual dinner in Washington, bringing together leaders from the entire American maritime universe. He is a past Governor, and Public Affairs and Marketing Chair, of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels; and a Trustee and past Vice Chairman of Sultana Education Foundation in Chestertown, which operates a replica 1768 British merchant schooner, along with extensive educational programming for students on the Chesapeake Bay. He was a founding member of the USS Massachusetts Memorial Committee which saved the World War II battleship and established Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts, and President of the USS Sequoia Preservation Trust, working to preserve the Presidential Yacht. He also was a founding Trustee of the Miles River Yacht Club Foundation, granting funds to over 20 nonprofits that offer swimming and boating programs for Chesapeake Bay youth.
On the Eastern Shore, Webster is also the Founding Board Chairman of the Avalon Foundation; Founder and Chairman of the Aspen Wye Fellows and on the Board of Advisors of the Aspen Institute Wye River Campus; past Trustee and Development Chairman of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy; past Vice President of Chesapeake Music; past Development Chairman of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation; Planned Giving Co-Chair of Christ Church, St. Michaels; and Development Committee member of Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy.
In a 45-year business career, Webster was a principal of two international communications consulting firms, and the chief public affairs and communications officer of three New York Stock Exchange-listed companies – Damon Corporation, Brunswick Corporation and Scott Paper Company. He has served on some 25 conservation, maritime, business, arts, foundation, hospital and educational non-profit Boards, often as their chairman. Educated at Cornell University and
Boston University, he has written extensively on historical, business and musical subjects, and lectured at Harvard University, Columbia University, Boston University, Fordham University, Boston College and Neumann College.
Webster is a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served in Europe, Mexico and the United States. He was cited by President Ronald Reagan for his Private Sector Initiative in establishing The Helping Hand Program.
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