Congratulations and Huzzah for Constance Kehoe!
Connie Kehoe, State Senator Shelley Mayer, and WCHS Executive Director Barbara Davis
Congratulations to Constance Kehoe, president of Revolutionary Westchester 250 and recipient of the 2026 Westchester County Historical Society Sy Schulman award, which was presented at the WCHS Annual Meeting and 250th Anniversary luncheon at the historic Peter Pratt's Inn on May 31, 2026.
The award is given to individuals or organizations that have demonstrated a strong commitment to historical research, historic preservation, or the teaching of local history, and have elevated the public’s appreciation of the history of Westchester County. The award is named for former WCHS trustee Sy Schulman, who was the county’s chief planner and planning commissioner during the 1960s. Throughout his life in Westchester, he championed the cause of preserving and promoting the history of the county.
Char Weigel, RW250 Vice President of Special Projects, delivered the following remarks:
Good afternoon, everyone. It is a pleasure to be with you at today’s Annual Meeting as the Society confers the 2026 Sy Shulman History Award.
To truly appreciate the choice of this year’s recipient, we need to reflect on a little recent history. In 2016, legislation was signed to begin our nation's Semiquincentennial planning. If… at that time—ten years ago—everyone here had been tasked with finding a leader for our county’s commemoration, it would have felt like an impossible challenge.
How could we ever find one person who deeply understood accurate history? Someone skilled at navigating the red tape of government legislation and funding? Someone so broadly known and respected that they could unify and amplify hundreds of organizations? And, most importantly, someone who could excite the public about Westchester’s truly unique Revolutionary War history?
But, as it turned out, an express rider had already mounted up and started the work on her own. That forerunner was, and is, Constance Messerly Kehoe—or as we affectionately know her—Connie.
In preparing for today, I sent my own express riders to many who have worked closely with Connie over the years. One of the first to respond, undaunted by the expanse of 250 years, was Deborah Sampson who fought as Private Robert Shurtliff. Paraphrasing from her own historic lecture tour, Sampson sent a personalized message, sharing her “propitious recollection” of Connie’s inspiring vision to “retrace the climax of our revolution, [and] the means by which we have outrode the storms of dangers and distress.” Judith Kalaora, the brilliant creator behind Sampson’s portrayal, stepped out of character to add her own words. She noted that from the moment she met Connie… aptly on July 4, 2019… Judith knew she had encountered a force to be reckoned with—a woman who absolutely would have stormed the throne in 1776. And let’s be honest. King Geoge probably would have surrendered immediately had he saw Connie coming in a tricorn.
Connie’s vision and magnetism quickly attracted a legion of recruits. She became Westchester’s Pied Piper of Patriotism. Frank Kaiman who volunteers on the board and management team of Revolutionary Westchester 250, recalls being completely astounded by Connie’s knowledge of the Westchester history. Niles Jaeger of Revolutionary Hastings and also our colleague at RW250, describes Connie as an unstoppable force. Their stories are shared by all of us at RW250 who found ourselves marching in double-quick time to keep up with our beloved “fighting general.”
Many of you here already knew what we on the RW250 team had to learn: the word “no” is simply not in Connie’s vocabulary. She does not say it... and she refuses to hear it! She just smiles, assumes you said “yes” and – walaa! – you have a new project. Connie truly could lead an army into battle, armed only with her warmth, vision, and contagious enthusiasm.
Scott Mosenthal, chair of Irvington 250, highlighted another of Connie’s trademarks: her commitment to inclusivity. I could not agree more. For Connie, history isn’t an exclusive club; it’s a big tent where every voice and story finds a home. Dr. Iris de Rhode described this as Connie’s “remarkable gift for finding and telling the stories that matter—the stories that connect us to our shared past and inspire us in the present.”
Of course, Connie has championed telling the stories of the famous men who traversed our county - Washington, Rochambeau, Tallmadge, Hamilton... But right alongside them, she has elevated the stories of women like Deborah Sampson… of Jinny—an enslaved woman who, alongside her enslaved husband Billy, bravely faced off Loyalist and British troops. Connie ensures we know about the heroism of the Rhode Island Regiment whose ranks included free and formerly enslaved Black and indigenous soldiers. Connie has supported and told the stories of everyone swept up in the chaos and danger of what was Westchester County during the war years.
This award is named in honor of Sy Shulman, a man whose profound dedication to local history set a standard for us all. Connie has not only met that standard; she has raised the bar, allowing us to create a collective commemoration worthy of this historic moment.
On behalf of the Westchester County Historical Society, please join me in congratulating Westchester’s unstoppable force in a tricorn hat—Constance Messerly Kehoe, recipient of the 2026 Sy Shulman History Award.
Connie Kehoe and General George Washington (Bill Wienecke)