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University Communications

Virginia Baptist History Organizations Win Award for Outstanding Achievement

July 26, 2002

The Virginia Baptist Historical Society and the Center for Baptist Heritage, housed at the University of Richmond, have won a national award for their history programs.

Fred J. Anderson, executive director of the both organizations, accepted the Davis C. Woolley Award for Outstanding Achievement in State Baptist History on their behalf last month in Jefferson City, Tenn., from the Baptist History and Heritage Society.

Charles Deweese, the society's executive director, said that "through the years (Anderson's) state history program has set the standards for all others."

Anderson, who has published a weekly column on Baptist history for 19 years in the Religious Herald, was the first winner of the Davis C. Woolley Award in 1991.

The award cites the publication of the book "For the Living of These Days: Responses to Terrorism," which contains sermons preached by Virginia Baptist ministers on the Sunday following September 11. The proceeds are being donated to the Virginia Baptist disaster relief ministry.

The award also cited the production of a video and book-length history in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society and several other accomplishments of the two history organizations.