Schroeder Award

Organization: United States Golf Association Museum and Library

The International Sports Heritage Association (ISHA) has named Susan Wasser as a recipient of its highest honor, The W.R. “Bill” Schroeder Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes individuals for meritorious service of a lasting nature in the sports heritage industry.

“Honoring legends within our sport heritage community is what we do daily; however, it is always important to recognize those people who have also assisted in growing those organizations.” said Meggan Gardner, ISHA President. “Susan Wasser continues to be an advocate for the USGA and golf history.  She was an amazing leader during her time with ISHA and I am proud that we are recognizing her with the Schroeder Award.”

Wasser will be formally recognized on September 18 at ISHA’s 2024 Annual Conference, highlighting their “Evening of Champions” celebration at The Sport Museum in Boston.

Wasser’s work in historic preservation and sports heritage spans decades and includes significant contributions to preserving golf history and driving donor engagement through the United States Golf Association (USGA), where she has worked since 2008.  The USGA’s Golf Museum and Library, located in Liberty Corner, N.J., is America’s oldest sports museum, with a collection of more than 70,000 cataloged artifacts, 750,000 photographs, 100,000 library items and more.

“Susan is simply in a class of her own when it comes to respecting the history of the game, and stewarding those that invest in the USGA for the future,” said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA.  “I’m proud to be Susan’s teammate and thrilled that the ISHA has recognized her incredible impact!”

During her tenure with the USGA’s museum team, Wasser helped expand storytelling of golf’s rich heritage through the lens of cultural change. Her work not only engaged golf fans, donors, and collectors but also caught the interest of a wider group of sports history enthusiasts and curators worldwide.

Among her many achievements, she is credited with developing and managing the African American golf archive, one of the deepest collections to exist on the subject. She was also intimately involved in the collection of artifacts that are currently on display in the Mickey Wright room within the Museum.

Wasser’s ability to forge and strengthen relationships within the sports heritage industry has led to multiple collaborations, educational forums, and peer networking opportunities.

She joined the USGA Foundation team in 2016 as a natural progression from her museum activities, currently leading its Legacy Giving, Donor Relations, and Stewardship efforts.

“I applaud the ISHA for honoring Susan Wasser with the W. R. “Bill’ Schroder Award,” said Charlie Pagnam, chief philanthropy officer for the USGA. “Susan is well known and respected for her interest and dedication to the field of Sports Heritage. Having a unique ability to communicate, lead, and connect, I am certain that Susan’s years of commitment to the Association will have a long-lasting impact.”

Wasser’s commitment to preserve the rich history of golf, ensure new stories are told, and connect with the next generation of sports enthusiasts can be seen throughout her work at the USGA.

“Sports communities are social communities and sports museums thrive when their leaders appreciate the power of strong relationships,” said Rand Jerris, Ph.D., recipient of the 2015 Schroeder Award and former director of the USGA Museum and Archives. “Susan has long exemplified precisely this manner of leadership. Throughout her long years of service to the USGA Museum, and more recently with the USGA Foundation, she built enduring relationships across the golf community that helped grow the museum’s programs and collections and elevate its reputation. Her passion, her warmth, and her generosity have been the hallmarks of her success and I’m thrilled to know that the ISHA community is honoring her with this important award.”

Organization: Babe Ruth Birthplace Mike is a native Baltimorean and worked on a project to revitalize the Babe Ruth Birthplace, and in 1983 became its Executive Director. Under Mike’s guidance, the Birthplace expanded its theme to include the Baltimore Orioles, Colts and Ravens, the Maryland Terrapins, and the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame. To house the expanding collection, the museum opened Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards, a virtual state sports museum, in 2005. Mike stepped down as executive director in 2017, but continues to work with the museum on exhibits, programming, media relations and the collection. During his 38-year tenure at the museum, Mike has enjoyed a wide range of speaking appearances on Babe Ruth and Maryland sports including the Today Show, MLB Network, ESPN, Comcast, the National Baseball HOF, and local SABR chapters in Baltimore, Washington and NY. “Those who inspire to be a leader can look at Mike’s career and dedication in raising and profiling sport within Maryland. His love and passion for sport and Babe is evident in every talk he gives. I want to congratulate Mike for this well-deserved award!” Dana Hart, ISHA President

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Organization: United States Golf Association Dr. Jerris holds a B.A. in Geology (1991) and an M.A. in Art History and Museum Studies (1994) from Williams College, and an M.A. in Art and Archaeology (1996) and a Ph.D. in Art and Archaeology (1999) from Princeton University.  He has authored three books: Golf’s Golden Age: Robert T. Jones Jr. and the Legendary Players of the ‘10s, ‘20s, and ‘30s; The Game of Golf and the Printed Word: 1566-2005, with co-author Richard E. Donovan; and The Historical Dictionary of Golf, with co-author Bill Mallon. For his work with Donovan, Jerris was awarded the Murdoch Medal by the British Golf Collectors Society in recognition of outstanding contributions to the game’s history. Dr. Jerris joined the USGA’s staff in a part-time capacity from 1988 through 1996, became the Association’s librarian and historian in 1999 and was named director of the Museum in 2002.  He led the efforts for the design and new construction of the 33,000 square foot Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History and oversaw the renovation of the original Museum structure.  Today as the United States Golf Association’s senior managing director for public services, Rand Jerris oversees a variety of functions, including facilities management, Green Section, philanthropy and grants, strategic and operational planning, and the USGA Museum. He remains active in researching and promoting the history of the game, focused on golf course architecture, golf art and the history of golf in the Alps.

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