OLD LYME—At Monday evening’s Annual Town Business Meeting, Old Lyme First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker announced Carolyn Wakeman as the Town’s 2024 Citizen of the Year.
Shoemaker introduced the eagerly anticipated announcement by saying, “This award, “Citizen of the Year,” is presented by the Town of Old Lyme to recognize someone who has gone above and beyond to improve the well-being of others and our community as a whole. Our “Citizen of the Year” is an individual who has made significant contributions to our community through numerous hours of volunteer work and leadership. This year’s recipient has demonstrated outstanding service in a multitude of areas: education, social justice, and the preservation of our town’s history. Their values of civic responsibility and community engagement are to be recognized.”
With the identity of the recipient still secret, Shoemaker continued, “When I contacted the people that nominated this year’s recipient, they reached out to others that they worked with, and a multitude of endorsing letters were sent to me. These letters included many of the same descriptive words: passionate, a true treasure, dedicated, a hard worker, scholar, unwavering commitment, and gardener to name a few.”
Shoemaker then said, “Tonight, it is my honor to announce that those words describe the 2024 Old Lyme Citizen of the Year, Carolyn Wakeman.”
After an extremely surprised Wakeman (she had attended the event believing a friend was receiving the award) had joined Shoemaker at the front of the auditorium, Shoemaker continued, “Every good story has a strong beginning. Ed Pinn who serves on the Historic District Commission with you informed me that you began your life here in Old Lyme. He told me your father was once the Postmaster, that you graduated from high school here and then went on to have a distinguished career as a teacher and researcher. Your research took you to China and then to the University of California/Berkeley, as a professor of journalism and East Asian Studies. You returned home to Old Lyme in 2005 and Carolyn, we are so glad you did!”
Shoemaker added, “Some might say you came home to retire but your relentless energy was channeled into organizing not one, but several groups and organizations. By the way, Carolyn did not just organize these groups, she led them. John Noyes wrote, “She has developed ways for people to collaborate in important endeavors; she has helped create communities.””
Noting, “John [Noyes] spoke highly of your dedication to your historical work and the time and energy you commit to tracking original sources and documenting information.,” Shoemaker said, “This was echoed by Jeffrey Andersen, Former Director of the Florence Griswold Museum, who wrote of your idea for the museum to start a series of blog posts that would explore various aspects of the town’s past, using primary source documents in the Lyme Historical Society Archives. Jeff [Andersen] noted that The History Blog became an indispensable resource for town residents, students, and scholars from near and far. The Connecticut League of History Organizations awarded the History Blog an Award of Merit in 2013.”
Another person who commended Wakeman’s work ethic was Amy Kurtz Lansing, Curator at the Florence Griswold Museum, who, according to Shoemaker, noted that Wakeman’s “tireless research in pursuit of hard truths has changed how she and others understand this town and its history.” Kurtz Lansing further commented that Wakeman, “Served not only as a Trustee but also as a member of several board committees at the museum … volunteer[ing] for 15 years in the Lyme Historical Society Archives, where you unearthed information about enslavement, and thus this became your next project, The Witness Stones Old Lyme.”
Shoemaker told Wakeman that, “… through the Witness Stones project you have provided middle school students with primary historical documents from which to learn about enslavement. After their studies, these students write poems to commemorate some of the over 300 people of African and Native American descent who lived here in bondage and whose presence and labor shaped Old Lyme. Amy also stated that you “courageously engage in dialogue with those of differing perspectives to move the project forward in the interest of truth and history.”
Citing support for the award from Old Lyme’s Phoebe Griffin Noyes (PGN) Library Director Katie Huffman, Shoemaker quoted Huffman as saying about Wakeman, “It is a privilege to work directly with you on the project … Carolyn’s dedication to this project simply can’t be overstated. She’s known to be the historian of the project, and as such has contributed countless hours of research and expertise toward better understanding the lives of those who were enslaved in historic Lyme, but her skill as a collaborator and organizer are perhaps less well known.”
Shoemaker explained that both Liz Frankel and Tim Griswold had shared their thoughts about working with Wakeman on multiple projects, saying, “They both note that in your role as Director of the Old Lyme Cemetery Association you have “been a visionary force.” You have led the restoration of the ancient section of Duck River Cemetery and under your guidance an informative website and a digital burial database has been created. Liz and Tim both note that you have worked hard to improve the way the Board functions. You have made thoughtful revisions to the association’s bylaws, which have significantly strengthened the association and have encouraged fellow Board members to offer their opinions on how the operation of the eight [Old Lyme] cemeteries could be improved.”
Tim Griswold also noted that Wakeman was, “An active participant in the seasonal cleaning, straightening and mending of grave markers in the “Ancient Section” of the Duck River Cemetery. Dozens of volunteers come to the Cemetery to work under the supervision of a professional monument preservationist.” Griswold stated, “Carolyn oversees these events and, on occasion, she has rewarded workers with a post-work wine and cheese treat.”
Shoemaker than listed some other accomplishments that are “noteworthy, as Old Lyme has benefited from all of them.” These include:
- The history she pieced together provided an invaluable foundation for the 2025 Florence Griswold Museum exhibition “Their Kindred Earth: Photographs of William Earle Williams.”
- Her work to establish the presence of Black history here in Old Lyme also resulted in her organization of three Juneteenth Jazz and Poetry events in association with the Museum, with a fourth installment to take place this spring.
- Her leadership of the volunteer members of the Florence Griswold Museum’s Archives Interest Group, which explores local history through the museum’s document collections.
- Undertaking exhibitions at the Museum related to Lyme’s early medical care and oceangoing families sharing archival materials with the public.
- Her collaborative work across local institutions including the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, the Cemetery Association, the Old Lyme Historical Society, and the Historic District Commission.
- As the researcher and author of The Charm of the Place: Old Lyme in the 1920s (published with the Old Lyme Historical Society) and Forgotten Voices: The Hidden History of a New England Meetinghouse (published with the First Congregational Church and Wesleyan University Press), Carolyn has provided anyone who loves Old Lyme—as she does—with a factual understanding of its past and how that history has shaped the town it is today.
Marcia McLean wrote, “Carolyn’s contributions to the Town of Old Lyme have not only enriched our understanding of Old Lyme’s past but have also educated us as we set a course for the town in the future.”
Old Lyme PGN Library Director Huffman added that Wakeman has served, “To help the people of Old Lyme connect with, understand, and learn from its past to become a stronger, more thoughtful, and more compassionate community now, and in the days to come.”
Shoemaker concluded, “Carolyn, it is evident that you love Old Lyme and that is just one of the many reasons we are proud to name you as our 2024 Citizen of the Year.”
Wakeman was then presented with flowers and a proclamation declaring her as Old Lyme’s 2024 Citizen of the Year.
Editor’s Note: We send hearty congratulations to Wakeman on this well-deserved honor.