Order of Ivorites
In 2006 the Foundation revived the honorary Ivorite award. It recognizes individuals and institutions whose activities bring honor to the overall Welsh tradition and heritage, especially activities exemplifying the motto of the first Ivorites: Friendship, Love, and Truth. Learn more...
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September 2021 ~
The Saint David's Society of Utica New York receives an Ivorite Award at the North American Festival of Wales. 
The main areas of settlement were Utica, Steuben and Remsen. After the Revolutionary War, land was granted to Major General Baron von Steuben by a grateful government. This land, 16,000 acres in the town of Steuben, was divided into 100-acre plots and sold to the newly arrived Welsh settlers.
In these early days, Welsh families came together to keep alive their cultural traditions, maintain friendships and honor their Patron Saint, St. David. Two of the earliest groups were the Welsh Society of Philadelphia, founded in 1729 and the St. David's Society of New York State in 1835. The St. David's Society of Utica can trace its roots to the Cymreigyddion Society's Eisteddfod in 1856. The Philanthropic Order of True Ivorites in Wales and North America.
In 2006 the Foundation revived the honorary Ivorite award. It recognizes individuals and institutions whose activities bring honor to the overall Welsh tradition and heritage, especially activities exemplifying the motto of the first Ivorites: Friendship, Love, and Truth. |
Order of Ivorites recipients: (incomplete list) 2004 Nelson Llewelyn 2004 Alfred J. Reese 2005 Olwen Joyce Anderson 2007 Douglas Bassett 2007 Wilfred O. Greenway 2009 Rev. Richard Baskwill 2009 Lorena Bennett 2009 Jack Owen 2009 John Prytherch 2009 William Reese 2009 John Reinhart 2009 Dale Richards 2009 Dave Williams 2010 Jeanne Jones Jindra 2010 Catrin Brace 2012 Carole Ellis 2012 Sian Frick 2012 Bryan Jones 2012 Cindy Roser 2012 Warren Watkins 2013 Don Robinson 2013 Tom Sandler 2013 Bill Van Buskirk 2019 Bill Griffiths 2020 Jonathan Morgan 2021 The Saint David's Society of Utica NY 2022 Gerri Baker Parry |
The order, known originally as “The Philanthropic Order of True Ivorites.” was established in Wrexham, Wales in 1836 by Thomas Robert Jones (“Gwerfulyn,” 1802-1856). The Ivorites were named after Ifor Hael (Ivor the Generous) who was the patron of Dafydd ap Gwilym, the fourteenth-century poet. They had firm rules for its members regarding morals and
behavior and also nurtured the Welsh language. The Order of Ivorites did a great deal towards the fostering of Welsh literature by giving eisteddfod prizes and holding events to encourage and showcase native talent. The Ivorites’ interest centered on the development of Welsh intellectual and moral character, as well as social improvement.
In America, Benjamin Hughes (1824-1900) took such sentiments to heart. He became one of the most important figures in the history of Scranton, Pennsylvania’s Hyde Park section. Hughes was thought of as the father of the American Ivorites, credited with organizing their society in Scranton and was its first American grand president. To all who knew him, he
was “more father than friend” admired for his exceptional executive ability and foresight. Thousands profited from his benevolence.
Although no active lodges exist today, local lodges of the Order of Ivorites were actively working throughout the United States into the late 1900s. With the establishment of this honorary Ivorite Award, the North America Wales Foundation commemorates and pays homage to the ideals of our Welsh forebears and seeks to foster that same spirit in our
own time.
(Adapted from a 2006 report by William VanBuskirk, who with our President-elect John Jones Reinhart, revived the Ivorite tradition.)
behavior and also nurtured the Welsh language. The Order of Ivorites did a great deal towards the fostering of Welsh literature by giving eisteddfod prizes and holding events to encourage and showcase native talent. The Ivorites’ interest centered on the development of Welsh intellectual and moral character, as well as social improvement.
In America, Benjamin Hughes (1824-1900) took such sentiments to heart. He became one of the most important figures in the history of Scranton, Pennsylvania’s Hyde Park section. Hughes was thought of as the father of the American Ivorites, credited with organizing their society in Scranton and was its first American grand president. To all who knew him, he
was “more father than friend” admired for his exceptional executive ability and foresight. Thousands profited from his benevolence.
Although no active lodges exist today, local lodges of the Order of Ivorites were actively working throughout the United States into the late 1900s. With the establishment of this honorary Ivorite Award, the North America Wales Foundation commemorates and pays homage to the ideals of our Welsh forebears and seeks to foster that same spirit in our
own time.
(Adapted from a 2006 report by William VanBuskirk, who with our President-elect John Jones Reinhart, revived the Ivorite tradition.)