For many decades Nancy Geasey has been an enthusiastic supporter and advocate for Maryland archeology. She first joined the Southwest Chapter of ASM, then affiliated with the Maryland Academy of Sciences, in 1965. As an avid fieldworker, in the late 1960s the nominee participated in three major ASM excavations at the Piscataway, Farmington Landing, and Hughes Sites as well as assisting at the Port Tobacco and Biggs Ford Site excavations. She has been a regular attendee at every ASM field session from 1971 through 2019, with the exception of 3 sessions in the early 1980s.
Nancy has served in many leadership roles, including Secretary and President of the Southwest and Monocacy Chapters, and President of the ASM Section of the Maryland Academy of Sciences in 1972-1973. She was instrumental in the merging of the two state societies in 1975, and served on the ASM Inc. Board as President in 2001-2002. She has also served as the President of the Monocacy Chapter for many years.
Over the years, Nancy has demonstrated extraordinary service, organizational skills and dedication to ASM, Inc., where her major contributions have been in both education of the public and archeological preservation. She has organized many ASM Annual and Chapter meetings and has promoted educational outreach in her community. She advocated for the development of the Certification Program and for teaching archaeology in public schools in Frederick and Washington Counties. She has also tirelessly advocated for local ordinances to protect archeological resources.
In addition, Nancy also assisted Spencer Geasey in documenting and cataloguing his extensive artifact collection from Frederick County, which was donated to the Maryland Archeological and Conservation lab at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum. She assisted Spencer in the purchase and restoration of the mid-19th century log house and in preserving the rhyolite quarry in their Highland, Maryland property in the 1990s. Spencer, who was an early recipient of the Marye Award (1985) thought so highly of her that they married in 1979. As a powerhouse couple they advocated for the advancement of Maryland archeology in many ways too numerous to recount.
For these many reasons, and for her many decades of leadership, enthusiasm and dedication, and for her many contributions to Maryland archeology, this year’s William B. Marye Award goes to Nancy Geasey.