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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...

September 2021 ~
The Saint David's Society of Utica New York receives an
Ivorite Award  at the North American Festival of Wales.

Picture
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.)
North America Wales Foundation © 2021
A 501(c)(3) charity

North America Wales Foundation Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • About NAWF
    • Contact Us
    • Board of Directors
    • Our Benefactors
    • Become a Benefactor
    • Our History >
      • Welsh in America
      • NWAF Change of Name
    • Newsletter
    • Order of Ivorites
  • In North America
    • NAWF Scholarships & Grants - North America >
      • Exchange Scholarship
      • NAWF Grants
      • Lloyd Family Travel Scholarship
      • 2022 Recipients - North America
      • Past Recipients - North America
    • Medallion Recipients
    • Osborne Roberts Winners
    • Events - North America
  • In Wales
    • NAWF Scholarships & Bursaries - Wales >
      • Gail Patrick Bursary
      • Lloyd Jones Endowment
      • 2021 Recipients - Wales
      • Past Recipients - Wales
    • Events - Wales
  • Blog