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That old adage

There’s an old adage that says you’re best known by the company you keep.

And boy does The Legal Genealogist hope that’s true.

Because I find myself today in the kind of company that leaves me in absolute awe. And fills me with pride.

And it’s all because of you.

John D. Reid of the blog Anglo-Celtic Connections recently asked genealogists around the world to vote for their favorite genealogy “rockstars” — people he described as “those who give ‘must attend’ presentations at family history conferences or as webinars. Who, when you see a new family history article or publication by that person, makes it a must buy.” “Who is it,” he asked, “that you hang on their every word on a blog, podcast or newsgroup, or follow avidly on Facebook or Twitter?”1

And yesterday and today, the results of that voting were announced. Leaving me with my jaw somewhere down around my knees. I mean, I would have put very large wagers on the Gold and Silver Medalists for the United States… but that bronze…? Now that was a total surprise.

Here they are, according to the voting:

Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA

GoldFor 16 years, editor of The National Genealogical Society Quarterly. Author of, among other works, Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace2 and, with the late Gary B. Mills, of the hot-off-the-presses The Forgotten People: Cane River’s Creoles of Color.3 Genealogical lecturer, writer and educator. Member (and past president), Board of Trustees, Board for Certification of Genealogists. And more other accomplishments than will fit in this space.

Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D. CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS

SilverCo-editor of The National Genealogical Society Quarterly and, twice, winner of the NGS Award for Excellence for NGSQ articles. Author of the recently-published Mastering Genealogical Proof.4 Professor emeritus at Gallaudet University. Genealogical lecturer, writer and educator. Member (and past president), Board of Trustees, Board for Certification of Genealogists. And, similarly, more other accomplishments than will fit in this space.

Judy G. Russell, J.D., CG, CGL

BronzeAuthor of The Legal Genealogist blog. Genealogical lecturer, writer and educator. Member, Board of Trustees, Board for Certification of Genealogists. Key accomplishment: having the good sense to study with both Elizabeth Shown Mills (Advanced Methodology) and Thomas W. Jones (Writing for Genealogists) and to have chosen them as role models. Not to mention having the good fortune to be able to consider both as mentors… and the honor of having both as friends.


SOURCES

  1. John D. Reid, “Rockstar Genealogists: Who Do You Think They Are?,” Anglo-Celtic Connections, posted 1 Sep 2013 (https://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog : accessed 17 Sep 2013).
  2. Elizabeth Shown Mills, Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace (Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2009).
  3. Gary B. Mills and Elizabeth Shown Mills, Forgotten People: Cane River’s Creoles of Color (Baton Rouge, La. : LSU Press, 2013).
  4. Thomas W. Jones, Mastering Genealogical Proof (Arlington, Va. : National Genealogical Society, 2013).
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