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30 March 2023 — "Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!"

In this week's installment of A Cause in Motion, we highlight another honoree at the upcoming National Maritime Awards Dinner: USS Constitution Museum, which tells the story of “Old Ironsides,” America’s Ship of State. The museum is located inside Boston National Historical Park, part of Charlestown Navy Yard in Charlestown, Massachusetts—an amazing shipyard that has been working in the service of our nation's defense for over 200 years. Constitution is operated by the US Navy; her maintenance, repair, and restoration are overseen by the Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston.

During the War of 1812, in battle with HMS Guerriere, sailors witnessed cannonballs bounce off of the ship’s hull during the battle. They exclaimed, “Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!” and the nickname has stuck ever since. In fact, they are made of wood, but the story speaks to her resilience as well as to the resilience of the sailors who fought that battle.

The USS Constitution Museum was incorporated in 1972 to serve as the "memory and educational voice" of the ship, and the current facility in Charlestown Navy Yard's Building 22 opened in April of 1976. Since that time, the museum has doubled in size, expanding into two adjacent buildings, and developing a state of the art collections facility and research library. Photo: Greg M. Cooper Photography.

Anne Grimes Rand, President and CEO, came to the USS Constitution Museum over three decades ago, bringing with her a love of the sea, sailing, and maritime history. Prior to her current role, she served as the museum’s curator and she continues to be heavily involved in developing the museum’s innovative interactive exhibits and programs that immerse visitors in the ship’s rich history, from the lives and lore of courageous crewmembers to the trials and tribulations of the War of 1812:

At the museum, we take the personal stories of the people who served aboard Constitution and try to understand what their life was like: if they were working on the deck, whom did they leave behind, what was it like to serve? Our focus has been to bring those personal stories forward to let people of today think about and experience what it would be like to serve aboard USS Constitution.

Anne Grimes Rand first joined the USS Constitution Museum team in 1986 in the position of research associate and progressed to become museum curator, designing exhibits and managing the collection of artifacts and archival records. She has been its president and CEO since 2010. Photo courtesy USS Constitution Museum.

On May 9 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, the USS Constitution Museum, in recognition of its outstanding educational programs fostering greater awareness of our maritime heritage, will receive the 2023 NMHS Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Maritime Education. As an interpretive complement to the ship since 1972, the museum has commemorated its history, serving as its educational voice collecting, preserving, and explaining the artifacts that tell the stories of the oldest commissioned warship afloat and America’s Ship of State.

Commander Farrell aboard USS Constitution. Photo courtesy US Navy.

In honoring the museum, the Society also celebrates the 225th anniversary of Constitution’s maiden voyage in 1798, and applauds her newest captain and first female commanding officer, CDR Billie J. Farrell, USN. Captain BJ Farrell is the 77th commanding officer of the ship. A native of Kentucky and a 2004 graduate of the US Naval Academy, CDR Farrell comes to USS Constitution with a love of Navy traditions. She has served on surface warfare ships, and her awards to date include two Meritorious Service Medals, four Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and three Meritorious Unit Commendation Medals.

First launched in 1797, the ship was then crewed by 450 men. This warship is now crewed by about 80 men and women, who are specially selected for this two-year deployment. Their mission is part ship maintenance and part public relations; the ship receives an estimated 500,000 visitors each year.

"Every American sailor has his own idea of what Constitution stands for, why she is important, what she means, even as men do about their nation. She is the symbol of what Americans have stood for from the beginning, and she represents what will have to be done again and again by Americans skilled in their profession, devoted to their duty, and working together in common cause." —Admiral Arleigh Burke

Photo courtesy US Navy.

We invite you to join us for this year’s gala, honoring the USS Constitution Museum, Congressman Joseph D. Courtney, and Oyster Recovery Partnership. The Society’s dinners are always a gratifying gathering of the maritime community, and this one should be no exception. The always entertaining Gary Jobson, America’s Ambassador of Sailing, is our master of ceremonies for the evening’s festivities. Our honorees will be introduced via video produced by award-winning documentarian Richardo Lopes and Voyage Digital Media.

Patrick O’Brien has curated The 2023 NMHS Maritime Art Gallery, an invitational exhibition that showcases contemporary art works by some of today’s most notable marine artists. All works are for sale. Click here for a preview of the exhibition. You need not attend to make your purchase.

For more information and to register, please click here, or contact Wendy Paggiotta via email at vicepresident@seahistory.org or at (914) 737-7878 ext. 557.