Virginia Historical Society Recognizes Fourteen High School Scholars From Across the Commonwealth

Sportswriter and Commentator Frank Deford Encourages Students to Play to Their Strengths

Richmond , VA  - October 22 and 23 became memorable days in the lives of fourteen students from various high schools in Virginia. The teenagers were honored guests at the seventeenth-annual J. Harvie Wilkinson, Jr., Lecture.  They also got to meet and discuss sports celebrities and writing techniques with author and commentator Frank Deford.

As participants in the eleventh annual Virginia Historical Society (VHS) Wyndham B. Blanton Scholars Forum, the students heard Deford talk about the athlete as a gentleman.  Deford focused specifically on baseball legend Christy Mathewson and tennis great Arthur Ashe. The following morning, scholars were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the VHS, learning about library, manuscript, museum, education, and conservation responsibilities at the society.

 

“Every year we select up to two dozen high school students to attend the Wilkinson lecture and listen to one of America’s pre-eminent writers speak—and I can assure you that the competition is not easy,” VHS President and CEO Paul A. Levengood said to the crowd.  “Frank Deford fused my two great loves: history and sports.  He is the master of writing and has become the voice of reason and conscience in analyzing the sometimes bizarre, sometimes sublime, role of sports in our society and of our society in sports.  His words tonight will no doubt motivate this year’s talented students throughout their educational endeavors.”

During his talk, which took place on the evening of October 22 at First Baptist Church, Deford said that being in the commonwealth was enormously satisfying for him because his mother grew up and his parents were married in central Virginia .  Deford joked that “a great deal of Richmond courses through my veins.”  Deford encouraged the scholars to find their own voice and play to their strengths in whatever they pursue in life.

A native of Baltimore , Deford began his career at Sports Illustrated in 1962 after graduating from Princeton.  He is the author of at least fifteen books, two screenplays, and countless magazines articles. He is also a regular contributor to HBO’s Real Sports, and he has a weekly feature on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition. Deford has been elected a member of the sportswriters and sportscasters halls of fame, named sportswriter of the year six times, and has won numerous other awards including an Emmy, a Peabody, and a Cable Ace.

The Blanton Scholars program, named in honor of a former president of the VHS, was established more than a decade ago by an anonymous benefactor who wanted to create a statewide forum for juniors and seniors studying Virginia and American history. Previous speakers include Stephen Ambrose, Cokie Roberts, Rick Atkinson, David McCullough, and Ken Burns. Information about the 2010 Blanton Scholars program will be available on the education page of the VHS web site in the spring.

On the final evaluation, one scholar summarized her experience saying, “The Blanton Forum has opened up doors that I have never seen before and set a stage for job possibilities I had never considered.”

2009 Wyndham B. Blanton Scholars

Page Allen, St. Catherine's High School, Richmond

Benjamin Bakkum, York High School, Yorktown

Emily Breeding, Lebanon High School, Lebanon

Samantha Costanzo, Clover Hill High School, Midlothian

Andrew Foster, Collegiate School, Richmond

Caitlin Helton, Lebanon High School, Lebanon

Acacia Howington, Lebanon High School, Lebanon

Trent Johnson, Kecoughtan High School, Hampton

Woody Kaine, Maggie Walker Governor's School, Richmond

Dylan Kolhoff, Maggie Walker Governor's School, Richmond

Daniel Laws, Maggie Walker Governor's School, Richmond

Maryam Patton, Maggie Walker Governor's School, Chesterfield

Aishwarya Venkat, Annandale High School, Annandale

Hena Yakoob, Lebanon High School, Lebanon

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For more than 178 years, the Virginia Historical Society (VHS) has been the steward of our state—and often national—history. Headquartered in Richmond, the VHS features award-winning exhibitions that are entertaining and educational for visitors of all ages. Although designated the Official State Historical Society, the VHS is a privately funded non-profit organization that relies on contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations to sustain its operations. Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m.–5 p.m. (shop and museum galleries only). Admission: $5/adults, $4/seniors 55+, $3/students, free/under 18 and free/members. Admission to the galleries is free on Sundays. For group tour information, call (804) 342-9652. For more information, call (804) 358-4901 or visit www.vahistorical.org.