Buffalo Rising Online

Oct 8th 2008, 7:12am By Eli George

Every year since 1957, the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society has presented worthy recipients with its prestigious Red Jacket Award. The award is given out to those who the society wishes to recognize for their “quiet, continued, unbroken devotion to civic progress.” This year the society is honoring two deserving Buffalonians: Edwin T. Bean, Jr. and JoAnn Falletta.

Bean has long been committed to the safety of children and families in the area, starting back in the 60’s when he was a volunteer for the Children’s Aid and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children of Erie County. While working there, Bean authored an act that eventually became law at the urging of an executive secretary in 1964. That law calls on physicians, surgeons, and other medical professionals to report abuse or neglect to the appropriate agency.

Since then, Bean has served as the president of the Children’s Aid Society and helped oversee its merger into Child & Family Services, which he is still an active board member of. He has also helped establish the Stanley G. Falk School for severely emotionally handicapped students, where he is a former board chair and current trustee. Further, he has been an adjunct faculty member of the University at Buffalo Law School since 1987.

For his constant devotion, Bean has more than earned this award. Likewise earning her award is JoAnn Falletta, the maestro who has brought international attention to the area and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Now celebrating her tenth anniversary with the orchestra, Falletta has brought to WNY an international guitar competition that has won international acclaim, increased the national prominence of the BPO, and has won a number of prestigious conducting awards. Falletta deserves this award for her drive to make the BPO the best orchestra possible and one of the most frequently recorded major orchestra in American.

The board of managers who selected the two award recipients will also present two Daniel B. Niederlander awards. This award is given for outstanding programming at a WNY historical organization. This year, the two worthy organizations are the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation, which has overseen a number of repairs and continued growth of the Terminal, and Shea’s Performing Arts Center, which is the only remaining Tiffany designed theatre in the country and features a restored Wurlitzer Pipe Organ.

Tickets to the annual dinner and award ceremony area $150 per person or $275 per couple. The ceremony takes place at the History Museum at 25 Nottingham Court at Elmwood and reservations can be made by calling the society’s development office at 873-9644 ext 318. You can also call the development office to find out more about table packages and corporate sponsorship opportunities. Visit the society’s website for more information about this event and other upcoming events.