James Alberston Receiving Gravely Award

James Alberston of Clover Hill High School in Midlothian, Virginia, is the first recipient of the Samuel L. Gravely, Jr., Award for excellence in teaching Civil War history. The award was created to honor the Tredegar Foundation’s first chairman, who was also the first African American admiral in U.S. history. The prize is an acrylic award bearing Admiral Gravely’s image and a check for $2,000. Mr. Alberston was selected for his demonstrated ability and success in teaching multiple perspectives on the war in a manner that promotes a sense of shared national heritage. Virginia Secretary of Education Belle S. Wheelan, an exofficio director of the Foundation, and Foundation President Alex Wise presented the award at a ceremony at the school on May 3.