Egan Maritime Institute is honored to announce the second annual Caldwell Heritage Award, a prestigious community recognition named in memory of Robert Cary Caldwell, the visionary behind the Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum. The award celebrates individuals who, like Caldwell, play a pivotal role in preserving and promoting Nantucket’s maritime heritage, including its lifesaving traditions and narrative history. The 2025 recipient will be honored and presented the award at Egan Maritime’s Night at the Museum fundraiser on July 11, 2025.
Caldwell's legacy had a profound impact. His donation of the land at 158 Polpis Road and his leadership in opening the Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum in 1968 were monumental. His determination and dedication led to the establishment of the first museum in America dedicated to honoring volunteer and professional lifesavers. Even after Egan Maritime Institute acquired the Museum, Caldwell’s vision continues to guide us, a testament to his enduring influence.
The inaugural Caldwell Heritage Award was presented in 2024 to Carl Sjolund, a lifelong fisherman and advocate for Nantucket’s working waterfront, in recognition of his dedication to preserving the island’s maritime culture and mentoring the next generation of mariners.
“As an organization, Egan Maritime Institute is committed to ensuring that Nantucket’s maritime past continues to be woven into the present,” shares Executive Director Carlisle Jensen. “The Caldwell Heritage Award honors those who carry that legacy forward, as Carl did so meaningfully in our first year.”
Michelle Maturo, Robert Caldwell’s granddaughter, will once again participate in the review committee and will present the 2025 award during the Night at the Museum celebration.
Nominations for the 2025 awards are now open and due by June 20, 2025.
Nomination Form: https://forms.gle/m2MZ9nvG2dV9...
The Caldwell Heritage Award is generously supported by Jessica and Drew Guff.
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Robert Cary Caldwell (1919-1995): Robert's (Bob) passion for Nantucket and its history came naturally. Although he washed ashore, he spent every summer in Nantucket from infancy. A descendant of the Cary and Folger families, he always knew he belonged to the island. As an 18-year-old, he worked his way across the Atlantic and returned to Nantucket, which he called home thereafter. His active civic contributions to the island were shaped by his interest in the sea, wartime Coast Guard experience, and a love of collecting and replicating its history as a painter, carver, and model builder. He was one of those few who worked tirelessly to preserve the island’s seafaring history, especially to pass on its lessons of community and self-sacrifice to its youth.