South Lectures To Full House!

The inaugural lecture of The Joffre Lanning Coe Lecture Series, October 7, 2006 featuring historic archaeologist Dr. Stanley A. South was presented to a full house audience at the North Carolina Museum of History auditorium.  South’s retrospective view of early historical archaeology at many of North Carolina’s most famous state historic sites was informative, exciting, emotional, and stimulating.  In his uniquely personal style South narrated slides spanning nearly fifty years of archaeology work in which he was involved and supported by teachers, co-workers, and family members.  Filled with emotion South departed the stage at the conclusion of his talk to a standing ovation that lasted several minutes in length. 

2006 Award Recipients Announced

The Coe Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce the 2006 award recipients for signficant contributions to North Carolina archaeology, excellence in historical archaeology, and outstanding volunteerism.  These prestigious awards will be permanently named in honor of three individuals who have made lasting contributions to the enhancement of knowledge regarding archaeology in North Carolina: Joffre Lanning Coe, Stanley A. South, and Robert A. Schwager. 

The awards will be presented at the inaugural event of The Joffre Lanning Coe Lecture Series, to be held at 7:00pm, Saturday, October 7, 2006 in the North Carolina Museum of History. 

The Joffre Lanning Coe Award will be presented to former ALCOA employees Edwin A. Listerman and Norman L. Pierson in recognition of signficant statewide contributions leading to preservation, enhancement and better understanding of archaeological resources in North Carolina.  From the late 1970s to the early 1990s Listerman and Pierson engaged in innovative management strategies to protect and preserve two of America’s most famous archaeological sites, the Hardaway site located in Stanly County, NC and the Doerschuk site located in Montgomery County, NC.  These innovative strategies led to a more than 15-year secession of looting, designation of the Hardaway site as a National Historic Landmark, and listing of the Doershuk site in the National Register of Historic Places.  Without the dedication and commitment of Listerman and Pierson, and the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA), two of America’s most important archaeological resources would have been forever lost.  However, due to the recipients’ unique efforts these ancient sites have been preserved for future generations. 

The first Stanley A. South Award for Excellence In Historical Archaeology will be presented to Stanley A. South in recognition of his many years of dedication and devotion to the field of historical archaeology.  South’s formative years were spent at UNC under the direction of Joffre Coe, before he accepted employment with the NC Division of Archives and History and began an unparalleled series of investigations at historic sites such as Bath, Brunswick Town, Halifax, Fort Fisher, and many others now recognized as prominent State Historic Sites.  South pioneered applications of science and statistical analysis in historic archaeology, discovered the Spanish fort of Santa Elena at Parris Island, SC, and has authored numerous books and professional articles, including volumes of poetry.  South is considered among the giants of historical archaeology and was once referred to by Joffre Coe as “…a national treasure.”

The first Robert A. Schwager Award for Volunteerism will be presented to retired Progress Energy employee Robert A. Schwager, a 19-year volunteer at the Office of State Archaeology, a former Executive Director of The Coe Foundation, and a current member of the Board of Directors.  Mr. Schwager is a professional engineer, a veteran of the US Navy, and played an important role in the direction of the NASA Apollo missions before he joined Progress Energy’s nuclear power program.  Mr. Schwager has volunteered in the laboratory, on field excavations and special projects; he has made significant financial contributions to CFAR; presented numerous educational lectures to school groups; designed and donated specialized equipment to the Office of State Archaeology Research Center; and has served as an advocate for archaeology attempting to call legislative attention to the needs of preservation, archaeological research and public education in North Carolina.  Mr. Schwager’s selfless dedication and generosity epitomize the term “volunteer.”