State President Ginny Mucciaccio presented a coveted global positioning system award at the annual graduation awards ceremony of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.  Established in 1891 and continuing as an accredited state college, MMA prepares men and women for professional careers ranging from marine transportation to energy systems engineering and emergency management.  

Florida native Alexander P. Karentz received the Massachusetts State Society's award this year for attaining the highest standing in electrical engineering.  He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering in June 2015.

The ladies of Massachusetts have proudly presented their award continuously for 80 years.  It is the longest running presentation at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy; deeply appreciated by both the cadets and the college, and enthusiastically supported by the 1812 membership.

Caption for photo;  (no color photo available)

Massachusetts State President Ginny Mucciaccio presented a global positioning system award to Florida native Alexander P. Karentz, who graduated summa cum laude from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in June.  The Massachusetts State Society has presented their award to the graduate attaining the highest standing in electrical engineering continuously since 1935.

Two Coveted Awards Presented by Massachusetts State Society

New England Historic Genealogical Society’s President D. Brenton Simons received the prestigious Spirit of 1812 Award from Massachusetts State President Ginny Mucciaccio at the Harvard Club in Boston.  The event was attended by the trustees, council and leadership staff of NEHGS plus guests, including Mary M. Tedesco, co-host of the PBS Genealogy Roadshow, who is also an applicant to the Massachusetts State Society USD 1812.

Currently serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Brenton Simons has striven to bring quality genealogy to everyone for more than past twenty years.  Under his leadership, NEHGS has grown in membership, increased it’s collections and added online accessibility, stabilized it’s financial status, expanded it’s scholarly research, popularized family genealogy and reached out with educational programs.  Accepting the Award, Brenton Simons graciously acknowledged the tremendous efforts and support of the entire NEHGS staff.   

As a group whose foundations are family genealogy and American history, all of USD 1812 has greatly benefited from Brenton Simon’s outstanding achievements at NEHGS.  The Massachusetts State Society was particularly proud to sponsor our own Brenton Simons for the National Society’s Spirit of 1812 Award for his ongoing accomplishments on behalf of the genealogical community and lineage organizations, as well as for his extraordinary efforts in the preservation and promotion of American History.

Massachusetts Presents Spirit of 1812 Award to Author

State President Ginny Mucciaccio (pictured center) proudly presented the Spirit of 1812 Award to Dr. G. William Freeman (left), author of The Holy Terror:  Captain William Nichols, during a reception at the Custom House Maritime Museum in Newburyport, Massachusetts.  Museum Director Mike Mroz (right) hosted the reception for Dr. Freeman, following his lecture on preserving historical artifacts.

Capt. Nichols was a commissioned privateer out of Newburyport during the War of 1812 on the Decatur and on the Harpy.  Most remarkably, Capt. Nichols captured 28 British prizes and over 600 prisoners, plus the ships’ cargos, despite spending eighteen months in the British prison at Dartmoor.  His reputation earned him the nickname of “The Holy Terror”.

Dr. Freeman makes this story of life during the War of 1812 era accessible and appealing to the general reader, interspersing War updates into the biographical narrative.   He lectures frequently on “common misconceptions about privateers, . . .  how captured prizes were allocated, and illustrates the characteristics of privateer captains”; which was especially well-received at the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston.  He has also donated many original artifacts to the Custom House Maritime Museum for preservation and display, including a portrait of Capt. Nichols.  

More information about The Holy Terror:  Captain William Nichols may be found at www.holyterror.net and a copy has been donated to the USD 1812 Library.  The Custom House Maritime Museum, with displays on Capt. Nichols including his captured British tea set, is open to the general public with current hours listed on http://www.customhousemaritimemuseum.org

Captain Nichols was a naval war hero in the War of 1812. He has been seldom mentioned in history books. He was a bold and daring privateer sea captain from Newburyport, MA, who was known as a man to be feared by the British who faced him on the sea. His story needs to be brought out of the shadows of history. “During the War, he captured 28 British Prizes, although one-half of the time he was in prison earning for himself the name of ‘The Holy Terror’ wherever seamen gathered”. H.W. Bartlett Upon his capture in the privateer Decatur, he was held in a cage constructed for him on the deck of a British frigate and deprived of communication with others for a month. He was then held in chains on a prison-ship in Chatham Harbor, England for a year and a half. President Madison ordered two British offi cers held in close confi nement in the United States in response to Nichols’ cruel and inhumane treatment. Nichols was eventually exchanged for the two offi cers and returned to the United States. Following his imprisonment, he continued his naval battles against the British, completing two successful cruises on the fast-sailing privateer Harpy by the end of the war. His story rivals the tales of swashbuckling pirates that have inspired the minds of the greatest fi ction writers. AUTHOR: G. WILLIAM FREEMAN, Ed.D. Dr. Freeman is a sixth generation descendant of Captain Nichols. The echo of Nichols’ lineage and the stories of his bravery have remained with Dr. Freeman throughout his life, propelling him to conduct considerable research on the history of his ancestor. Dr. Freeman has had a long professional career. He holds graduate degrees from Harvard and Boston Universities and was a General Motors Scholar at the University of Denver. He enjoys coin collecting, woodworking projects, playing the piano and genealogical research.