2014 FGS Award of Merit Presented to Michael Nolden Henderson of Georgia

Over the next few days, we will know what individuals and organizations have been presented with special awards from the Federation of Genealogical Societies at the annual conference.

In the meantime, we give you another of the 2014 winners. Michael Nolden Henderson, LCDR USN Ret. of Georgia, was presented with an FGS Award of Merit. Henderson is pictured here with FGS President, Josh Taylor.

This award was in honor of his efforts to discover many men of color who served valiantly in the American Revolution and the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812.

These forgotten patriots—free and enslaved Africans, Creoles, Haitians, Mexicans, and Native Americans fought to help secure an America that later rejected their descendants. Many of these men made critical inroads towards victory and were honored for their bravery, skill, and service. Unfortunately, their stories remain untold and Henderson has developed a kindred connection to them and to their stories and continues bringing to light their contributions and stories so that others can appreciate them too. His research has been displayed in temporary exhibits at the National Archives at Atlanta and at the Louisville International Airport.

Please think about others that deserve to be honored. Visit http://fgs.org/ and click on Awards for the details of each award category and the nomination form. Awards will be presented at various times during 2015.