The Stamford Historical Society

Presents the Virginia T. Davis, Stamford Historical Society
Distinguished Service Award to

Jane C. Flounders

25 June 2007
Address by Ron Marcus, Librarian

Good evening. It is a pleasure for me to present this year's Virginia T. Davis, Stamford Historical Society, Distinguished Service Award to one of our most outstanding volunteers. This tribute is given in memory of a truly remarkable individual, whose devotion to the City of Stamford through this organization was summarized in a 23 March 1983 Advocate Editorial. “[Virginia] believed that a community’s sense of its own history gave it a solidity and depth that it otherwise would not have. She was right in thinking so.”

This year’s recipient moved here from Forest Hills, New York in 1951 with her parents and siblings. She attended Low-Heywood School, graduating in 1954 and from Wheaton College in 1958.

Her career began as a researcher at Time-Life in their picture collection. Then, between the years 1960 and 1965, she worked at the book division of American Heritage Publishing Company as Photo Researcher/Assistant Editor under the direction of Alvin M. Josephy, a noted authority on American Indians. Some of the volumes she worked on are: American Heritage Book of Indians (1960), American Heritage History of Flight (1961), American Heritage Book of Natural Wonders (1962), American Heritage History of The Great West (1963), and American Heritage History of World War I (1964).

Here in Stamford, she became active in the Stillmeadow School PTO and served as President of the Parent Teacher Council of Stamford. She also served on the Board of Literacy Volunteers, as a Substitute Media Specialist at Stamford Public Schools, and worked for Pierson & Smith Insurance.

In addition to marrying her late husband Burt, the birth of their three daughters and four grandsons, another high point in her life occurred during her student years at Low-Heywood. It was there that, by happenstance, she and several fellow students were given an impromptu, private recital by the noted grand opera and popular performer Ezio Pinza.

She has presided as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Stamford Historical Society, and currently serves as its Volunteer Coordinator, Education Docent, and has been co-chair of our four Victorian Teas and chair of the Lord &Taylors Benefit Bash.

To a great extent, the Stamford Historical Society’s very existence depends on our dedicated volunteer force, working in conjunction with the Director and the Office Manager. Maintaining a multi-faceted, vital group of individuals requires the dedication and talents of a person who is willing to recruit, interview and amalgamate new people into the apparatus of this organization. As Volunteer Coordinator, she is constantly accomplishing just that, thus insuring continuation of services provided by the Society to the public.

For all of the aforesaid contributions, and far more, it now gives me great satisfaction in bestowing this year’s Virginia T. Davis, Stamford Historical Society Distinguished Service Award upon Jane C. Flounders.

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