Preservation Champions

Celebrating a Legacy of Leadership and Preservation

For decades, extraordinary individuals have dedicated their time, talents and voices to protecting America’s battlefields. The American Battlefield Trust honors those whose leadership, passion and unwavering commitment to preservation have safeguarded our nation’s hallowed ground, advanced historical understanding and inspired future generations.

Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award

The Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award honors individuals whose exceptional leadership, dedication and lifelong contributions have shaped the battlefield preservation movement and inspired future generations to protect America’s hallowed ground.

John L. Nau III

John L. Nau, III

Career Highlights
Chairman Emeritus of the American Battlefield Trust, Trustee for Life, Chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, Chairman of the Texas Historical Commission, Battlefield Preservation Advocate, Philanthropist, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran
Award
Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award
Inducted
2023
Pete and Julia Brown

Pete and Julia Brown

Career Highlights
Preservationists, Co-founders of HistoryAmerica Tours, Heritage Tourism Advocates
Award
Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award
Inducted
2019
Ed Bearss seated

Edwin C. Bearss

Career Highlights
World War II Veteran, National Park Service Chief Historian, Tour Guide, Author
Award
Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award
Inducted
2018 & 2001

William C. Howell

Career Highlights
Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, Virginia State Delegate, Chairman of the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission, Battlefield Preservation Advocate
Award
Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award
Inducted
2017
Man with white hair and a white beard speaking at a podium into a microphone, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and patterned tie.

The Rev. Bob Bluford

Career Highlights
World War II Veteran, Presbyterian Minister, Battlefield Preservation Advocate
Award
Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award
Inducted
2013
Historian Bud Hall holds a picture of the "for sale" signs and development proposals that once threatened the land where he's standing, now owned by the Trust.

Clark B. Hall

Career Highlights
Vietnam Veteran, FBI Supervisory Agent, Congressional Investigator, Co-founder of the Brandy Station Foundation, Battlefield Preservation Advocate
Award
Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award
Inducted
2012
Man with gray hair and glasses smiling at the camera, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and patterned tie.

Edward T. Wenzel

Career Highlights
Historian, Author, Co-founder of the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites, Co-founder of the Chantilly Battlefield Association, Battlefield Preservation Advocate
Award
Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award
Inducted
2012
Man speaking into a microphone, wearing a dark suit, light blue shirt, and red patterned tie.

Norman D. Dicks

Career Highlights
U.S. Congressman, Chairman of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, Battlefield Preservation Advocate
Award
Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award
Inducted
2010
Woman with short gray hair wearing sunglasses on her head and a coral cardigan.

Deborah Fitts

Career Highlights
Journalist, Assistant Editor of Civil War News, Director of Communications for the Civil War Trust, Battlefield Preservation Advocate
Award
Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award
Inducted
2008
Man wearing glasses, a gray pinstripe suit, white shirt, and red patterned tie.

John P. “Jack” Ackerly III

Career Highlights
Attorney, Co-founder of the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites, University of Virginia Rector, Battlefield Preservation Advocate
Award
Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award
Inducted
2007
Man with dark hair and a mustache wearing a Civil War-era military uniform and red kepi-style cap.

Brian C. Pohanka

Career Highlights
Civil War Historian, Author, Historical Consultant, Co-founder of the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites, Battlefield Preservation Advocate
Award
Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award
Inducted
2006
Man with gray hair and glasses smiling broadly, wearing a dark suit, blue shirt, and tie at an indoor gathering.

Manuel Lujan Jr.

Career Highlights
U.S. Secretary of the Interior, U.S. Congressman, Battlefield Preservation Advocate
Award
Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award
Inducted
2006
Man with white hair, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and patterned tie, with other people visible in the background.

Carrington Williams

Career Highlights
Attorney, Chairman of the Civil War Preservation Trust, Virginia State Delegate, Battlefield Preservation Advocate
Award
Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award
Inducted
2003
Man with white hair, glasses, and a white beard pointing at something, wearing a dark jacket and blue shirt.

Jerry L. Russell

Career Highlights
Public Relations Specialist, Political Consultant, Battlefield Preservation Advocate
Award
Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award
Inducted
2002
Man wearing a National Park Service uniform and broad-brimmed ranger hat, outdoors against trees and a blue sky.

Dennis E. Frye

Career Highlights
National Park Service Historian, Co-founder of the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites, Battlefield Preservation Advocate
Award
Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award
Inducted
2001
Smiling man wearing a broad-brimmed National Park Service ranger hat and green uniform, outdoors in a wooded setting.

Don Pfanz

Career Highlights
National Park Service Historian, Interpreter, Author, Battlefield Preservation Advocate
Award
Edwin C. Bearss Lifetime Achievement Award
Inducted
2001

American Battlefield Trust Preservation Champions

From historians and authors to advocates, philanthropists and public servants, these extraordinary individuals have helped shape the battlefield preservation movement. Through their leadership, dedication and service, they have protected irreplaceable historic landscapes, deepened our understanding of the past, and inspired others to carry the mission of preservation forward.

Man with white hair, glasses, and a white beard pointing at something, wearing a dark jacket and blue shirt.
Preservation Champion

Jerry L. Russell

Jerry Russell (1933-2003) was one of the earliest and most outspoken advocates for Civil War battlefield preservation, serving as a national voice for...
Jeff Shaara
Preservation Champion

Jeff Shaara

Jeff Shaara is a bestselling historical novelist and former member of the Trust's Board of Directors. The son of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael...
Kyle Thompson
Preservation Champion

Kyle Thompson

After being diagnosed with ALS at age 37, California native Kyle Thompson set out to create a lasting musical tribute to the soldiers who fought and...
Jim Vaughan
Preservation Champion

Jim Vaughan

A longtime historic preservation leader, Jim Vaughan (1943–2020) helped protect Pennsylvania’s historic treasures, including supporting the American...
Man with gray hair and glasses smiling at the camera, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and patterned tie.
Preservation Champion

Edward T. Wenzel

E d Wenzel is one of the pioneers of the modern Civil War battlefield preservation movement. A co-founder of both the Chantilly Battlefield...
Man with white hair, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and patterned tie, with other people visible in the background.
Preservation Champion

Carrington Williams

R ichmond attorney Carrington Williams (1919-2002) played a pivotal role in uniting the modern battlefield preservation movement. In the late 1990s...