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Knoxville’s Max Ramsey tapped for National Historic Preservation Medal [photos]

Maxwell D. Ramsey, who has been instrumental in the preservation of Cherokee history and cultural sites since the 1960s, was the recipient of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution National Historic Preservation Medal on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017, at the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore, Tenn. Officials with the Judge David Campbell Chapter of the DAR in Chattanooga presented the medal.
Maxwell D. Ramsey, who has been instrumental in the preservation of Cherokee history and cultural sites since the 1960s, was the recipient of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution National Historic Preservation Medal on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017, at the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore, Tenn. Officials with the Judge David Campbell Chapter of the DAR in Chattanooga presented the medal. Maxwell D. Ramsey, who has been instrumental in the preservation of Cherokee history and cultural sites since the 1960s, was the recipient of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution National Historic Preservation Medal on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017, at the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore, Tenn. Officials with the Judge David Campbell Chapter of the DAR in Chattanooga presented the medal.

By Ben Benton 6 min read

FAST FACTS

Honors, awards and achievements for Max Ramsey:• DAR National Historic Preservation Medal• Instrumental in founding of Sequoyah Birthplace Museum• Held role in establishing and then serving as vice president of the Trail of Tears Association and writing the Trail of Tears Association bylaws.• Gold Award from the National Park Service• Served as president of the National Society for Park Resources• Served on the executive committee of the National Park and Recreation Association• Member of the National Recreational Academy for Parks and Recreation Administration• Over time received seven Presidential Awards for his contributions for special programming from the National Recreational Academy for Parks and Recreation Administration (annual award)• The Honorable Cornelius Amory Pugsley Medal of Distinction (the most prestigious award that recognizes outstanding contributions to the promotion and development of public parks, recreation and conservation in the U.S.) Still serves as an appointed advisor to them• Now in the process of securing trust status from TVA for permanent easement of properties that the museum holds on Tellico Lake• Recognized by TVA for a special award for those services to that agency and the Cherokee people during completion of Tellico Lake/Dam. Called the Gold Honor Award for recognition of distinguished achievement of major significance. One-time award.• Received an ambassadorship for the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and the Sequoyah Award from the Joint-Councils of Eastern and Western Cherokee.• Given status of honorary member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee in 2010 for his continued support and services to the tribe.

VONORE, Tenn. – It only takes a few minutes of conversation to discover that Max Ramsey has a passion for history few can equal.

Ramsey is soft-spoken and unassuming. The 83-year-old Knoxville resident will tell you about his work, but he only begrudgingly takes any credit for results he says are really the hard work of others just putting his ideas into action.

On Wednesday in Vonore, Tenn., the Judge David Campbell Chapter of the Tennessee Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Chattanooga presented Ramsey with the National Historic Preservation Medal. The award recognizes his more than 50 years of work to preserve the land and history of the peoples who over the centuries have called East Tennessee home.

The medal was awarded at the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, a historic site Ramsey worked to establish and maintain.