Celebrating the indefatigable Liz Lyon on her 100th birthday!
Mentors have an oversized influence on our lives. At key moments of growth and opportunity they arrive with wisdom, experience, support, belief, and the occasional unwanted push forward. At a time when too many men are working to silence women’s voices, I am proud to be in the opposite camp. Two of the key individuals who have shaped my career and whatever success I have achieved have been women in positions of power.
One of the most important mentors in my life—both personally and professionally—turns 100 years old today. And I want to take that momentous occasion to celebrate the life and long-lasting legacy of Elizabeth A. (Liz) Lyon, PhD.
A PERSONAL REMEMBRANCE
Early in my career I worked for and with Liz from 1978 to 1981—the last two when I served as a preservation planner in the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) where Liz was the director. For those unfamiliar with preservation jargon, the SHPO is the agency responsible for implementing the national preservation program in each state. In Georgia, the Historic Preservation Division serves that function, working “in partnership with federal and state agencies, local governments, preservation organizations, community groups, and individuals to achieve a greater appreciation and use of historic buildings, districts, and archaeological sites in the context of everyday life.”
Liz—as the State Historic Preservation Officer—was my first true role model as an executive leader. I have been telling others of the lessons I learned from her ever since. Liz’s enthusiasm, vigor, and passion are the first things that spring to mind when I think back on those times. It meant a great deal to me, as a young professional, to see her leading the staff with so much excitement for the work we did. It was, frankly, contagious.
Liz came from an academic background and was a serious scholar, but she wasn’t stuffy or aloof. She wrote throughout her career in an accessible and easily readable style, whether she was telling others how the story of historic preservation is one of the rebirth of neighborhoods and downtowns, providing a history of the preservation movement in Georgia, returning to her roots as an architectural historian, or broadening the understanding of cultural landscapes in the state so citizens could see the important role of Indigenous Americans and Blacks in the state’s history.
I am also thankful to Liz for showing how one supports a staff. Liz was definitely our leader but she also related well to everyone in the office. The main lesson I’ve passed along to others is that Liz would deflect praise when it came her way and instead would give it to the members of her staff; however, she always took responsibility for the hard choices or the wrong choices we may have made. She lifted us up in times of success and had our back when we were being attacked. I have tried to emulate that type of support for others in my career. There were certainly times in those early years when one of us made a decision that put Liz and the state office in a difficult position, but she was always the one there to take the heat. Liz certainly helped guide and educate us, but her willingness to stand up for what was right in a way that protected her younger professionals in public forums was a great gift.
Basically, Liz cared about me as a person, just as she cared for the rest of her team. She wanted to know how I was doing, supported my professional growth (even if it meant leaving the office), and gave me great assignments by putting me in a position to succeed. I am forever grateful that she gave me the opportunity to work in Georgia for four years with the amazing group of professionals she had assembled. And—of course—I can’t begin to thank her enough for having Candice in the office at the same time! We kept our late-blooming romance a secret until I left to go to graduate school. Liz couldn’t make my going away party, so I took her to lunch and told her we were getting married. She couldn’t have been happier for us and she always liked to remind others that she brought us together. Candice and I have had an amazing ride, which all begin as we got to know each other and ourselves in Atlanta.
Later in my career I had a different type of relationship with Liz. As part of the leadership team at the National Trust over two decades, I would hear from Liz when she wanted to make a point—sometimes forcefully—about a position the Trust was taking on a specific issue. She would also call or look me up when she was pleased with the direction the organization was taking. As all thoughtful professionals do, Liz and I would have our occasional disagreements; but neither ever let professional differences get in the way of our long-standing relationship and friendship.
RECOGNITION FROM HER PEERS
When I heard that Liz was turning 100, I reached out to former colleagues and friends, asking for their help in recognizing the amazing personal and preservation legacy Liz has within the movement. My friend and colleague Kathryn Leonard, the SHPO for Arizona and a national leader among state preservation officers; Carole Griffith, the longtime HPD senior director and Liz’s invaluable lieutenant; and the current Georgia Deputy SHPO, Jennifer Flood, who sits on the board of the National Conference of SHPOs, all worked together. Jennifer led the way in having the NCSHPO board approve a resolution in March “In Honor of Elizabeth A. Lyon.”
The preamble reads:
“Longest-serving State Historic Preservation Officer in Georgia history, NCSHPO officer, pioneer in preservation during the formative years of the National Historic Preservation Act, mentor, and friend on the occasion of her 100th birthday.“
What follows is three full pages (!) of accomplishments. I’ll hit the highlights.
Liz served as the State Historic Preservation Officer from 1978 to 1994, making her the longest-serving SHPO in the state’s history. During her sixteen year tenure she led the state office to a place of prominence as one of the most respected and effective state offices nationally. Her leadership was most evident in:
- Promoting preservation as a tool for a broader understanding of history;
- Effectively using federal and state preservation programs—especially the National Register of Historic Places, historic tax credits, and public education—to help preserve historic places; and
- The broad recognition, designation, and interpretation of historic properties, districts and landscapes to strongly reflect the diversity of Georgia history.
Liz developed initiatives such as Georgia Living Places, Regional Preservation Planners (of which I was the first!), Centennial Farms, and a model State Preservation Plan that integrated academic standards, professional criteria, community planning and local priorities into preservation practice.
It was through Liz’s strong and personal relationships with the state’s African American community that the Georgia SHPO became the first state preservation office in the nation to:
- Publish a guide—Historic Black Resources—for use in evaluating historic resources associated with African American history and communities;
- Create the Georgia African American Preservation Network (GAAHPN), a statewide movement to raise awareness of African American historic resources, and
- Establish a full-time staff position to focus on African American historic resources and to provide support to the GAAHPN.
The resolution recognizes Liz’s scholarly accomplishments, her many awards, and the transformation of her 1994 retirement event—attended or supported by over 200 preservationists—from one that only looked backward into a forward-focused celebration that included the establishment of the Elizabeth A. Lyon Fund, an ongoing scholarship program at the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Designed especially for students and young professionals, the scholarship fund addresses needs and issues that contribute to a better understanding and use of historic preservation.
Here’s how the resolution ends:
“Whereas, Elizabeth A. Lyon, throughout her academic, professional and volunteer life
- Displayed passion, integrity, dedication and enthusiasm for the national, state and local programs that preserve community resources, the comprehensive range of historic buildings, landscapes and archeological sites that reflect Georgia history,
- Mentored several generations of young professionals who have left their own marks on the preservation field, and
- Inspires people to this day; and
Whereas, Elizabeth A. Lyon will celebrate her 100th birthday on May 17 of this year;
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers expresses its appreciation to Elizabeth A. (Liz) Lyon for a lifetime of accomplishments in the field of historic preservation and wishes her the happiest of birthdays!”
NCSHPO got it just right, and I’m forever grateful to Carole, Jennifer, Kathryn, and the NCSHPO board and staff for recognizing one of the most important individuals in my professional life.
Thank you so much, Liz, for all the support and guidance you’ve given to me through the years. You are a real mentor and treasure.
Happy birthday, dear friend!
More to come . . .
DJB
Photo of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic District in Atlanta (credit: Georgia Historic Preservation Division)
MORE TO COME... 