Historical Society Presents First Roger Brown Scholarship at Its 85th Annual Meeting

CHESTERTOWN—The Historical Society of Kent County marked the occasion of its 85th annual meeting on Sunday by presenting Jonathan Conner, of Rock Hall, with the first Roger D. Brown History Scholarship.

Gibson Anthony, outgoing Society president, presented Conner with a $500 check. Conner, who just graduated from Kent County High School, was selected as the outstanding history graduate of his 2021 class. Conner is joining the U.S. Navy and plans to attend college when he completes his service.

The Roger D. Brown Scholarship was established by the Society in 2020 in recognition of the 30+ years of service by Roger D. Brown as he retired as Society treasurer.

At its meeting, the Society also elected four directors, two for the first time and two who have previously served as directors. The new directors are Gordon Wallace and Darius Johnson. The returning directors are former Society president Steve Frohock and director Jennifer Moore, a local preservationist who has been on the Society board for three years.

Johnson is a Kent County native and a 2015 Washington College graduate. After working in the greater Baltimore area, Mr. Johnson returned to the Eastern Shore when he joined the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy as Communications Manager. He has recently relocated professionally to Kent County as the Executive Director of the non-profit Kent Housing Alliance. He is a member of the board of directors for the Stories of Chesapeake Heritage Area and a member of the Washington College Alumni Board.

Wallace is a Kent County native and a 2019 graduate of Stevenson University with a degree in digital marketing. A talented artist and videographer, Mr. Wallace was co-curator of the “Amazing People” oral history series produced by RiverArts. He is also the curator for the two guest exhibits at the Bordley Building by Sumner Hall, including the current exhibit featuring the James Taylor Justice Coalition. He is a member of the Chestertown Public Arts Committee and the Arts & Entertainment District Advisory Board, as well as being communications and media coordinator for Sumner Hall. He is the founder of Pick6Digital.

The Society also elected officers: Barbara Jorgenson of Chestertown as president; Gibson Anthony of Still Pond as vice president, Bridget Mahoney of Chestertown as treasurer, and Erik Gulbrandsen of Fairlee as secretary.

“We are particularly proud of our new board,” said incoming president Barbara Jorgenson. “For the past several years, we have tried to expand the reach of our board into every corner of the county, as well as across generations. This year’s board members hail from the Bay to the Sassafras to the Chester—and range in age from 80 to 20’s. It is our goal to ensure that our local history is accessible and relevant to all ages. I believe this board will help achieve that goal.”

The 85th annual meeting was held at the home of members Susan and Bronson Percival. It was well attended with more than 40 members and guests present, including board member Robert Bryan of Kennedyville, whose grandfather was among the founders of the Society 85 years ago.
The Historical Society of Kent County is a non-profit organization dedicated to the collection, preservation, interpretation, and sharing of all aspects of Kent County’s history. Its headquarters is at The Bordley History Center, in the heart of downtown Chestertown at the corners of High and Cross Streets. Its museum and gift shop are open every Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., but its window exhibits on High Street are always open. Its research library is open by appointment only. Please contact director@kentcountyhistory.org.

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~ Kent County Historical Society