On May 16, Maine Maritime Museum presented the inaugural Nathan R. Lipfert Maritime History Prize to Morse High School sophomore Liam Scanlon. Scanlon was awarded the $500 prize for his outstanding essay “The Recent Growth of Surfing on the Maine Coast.”

The Nathan R. Lipfert Maritime History Prize was created to inspire high school students to learn about Maine’s maritime history. The prize honors Curator Emeritus Nathan R. Lipfert (Morse High class of 1969), and is awarded annually to one Morse High School student for an outstanding essay about maritime history or culture. The essays must be research-based and 1,000 words or less, and may be on a topic of the student’s choice related to Maine’s maritime history or a current maritime issue. Students are encouraged to utilize the museum’s library and collections for research. All participating students received free passes to the museum including tickets to take a Kennebec River cruise.

There were 22 essays submitted for consideration on topics ranging from Bath Iron Works to fisheries. A group of judges conducted a blind review of the essays, ultimately selecting Scanlon’s essay “The Recent Growth of Surfing on the Maine Coast.” The judges noted that Scanlon’s submission was well written and focused on an interesting contemporary maritime topic. Following their selection, the judges were excited to learn that Liam Scanlon is a graduate of the museum’s Discovery Boatbuilding Program. The judges also selected three students for Honorable Mention: Katelyn Anderson, Tanner Hennin, and Anora Rice.