11-25-2013
Dr. Paul Ewell, a VWC alumnus and faculty member, is bringing the history, heritage, and traditions of watermen to life on the Wesleyan campus and beyond. Ewell is the executive director of the Watermen's Heritage Foundation of Virginia's Eastern Shore and the Eastern Shore Watermen’s Museum, which will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, December 14 at the Historic Onancock School in Onancock, Virginia. The museum will feature artifacts, photographs, educational programs and presentations, a searchable database and scholarships for watermen and their families to promote the preservation and growth of the industry. “I was born and raised in a fishing family and have been researching the topic my whole life,” says Ewell, Associate Professor of Management/Business/Economics (MBE). He will also present a lecture on the topic on Tuesday, December 10 from 7-8:30 p.m. in Blocker Auditorium. The lecture will explore watermen’s culture using vivid imagery, stories and legend. Ewell has incorporated his knowledge of this culture into his classes at VWC. “Watermen maritime trade on the Chesapeake Bay ties into the supply chain and logistics track of the MBE major,” he explains. There is also a connection, he notes, between watermen’s heritage and the College’s Wesleyan tradition in that many Eastern Shore creeks used by watermen were home to Methodist churches and congregations. For more information about the grand opening of the museum or lecture, contact Dr. Ewell at 757.233.8810 or pewell@vwc.edu or visit the Watermen’s Heritage Foundation of Virginia’s Eastern Shore organization's website.