CLARKSVILLE, TN – The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is pleased to announce that long-time members and patrons Dr. Ernest and Mrs. Joan DeWald are the recipients of the Distinguished Contributor Award for the 2026 Southeastern Museums Conference.

The Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) presents one award annually in all the Southeast in this category. Other individual awards are James R. Short Award, Museum Leadership Award, Outstanding Service to the Museum Profession Award, and Emerging Museum Professional Award. 

This year’s Award recipients were selected from an exceptional pool of nominees representing museums and communities across the Southeast. The SEMC Awards Committee, chaired by Michelle Schulte, Chief Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at the LSU Museum of Art, selected honorees whose leadership, service, and contributions have strengthened museums and the museum profession throughout our region.

“The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is fortunate to be among the numerous causes they have so graciously championed. Over the past 20 plus years, the DeWalds have served the Museum through their generous gifts of time, talent, and treasure. This special relationship validates the true allies and supporters they continue to be,” said Frank Lott, Executive Director of the Customs House Museum.

Distinguished Contributor Award

Established in 1999, this award recognizes individuals outside the museum profession who, over the course of 20 or more years, have provided exceptional leadership, philanthropic support, or significant contributions to museum collections and institutions.

For more than two decades, the DeWalds have been dedicated champions of the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, contributing their time, leadership, resources, and enthusiasm to the Museum and its mission. Joan served on the Museum’s Board of Trustees from 2004–2009, and together the DeWalds have maintained active Museum membership for more than 20 years. Their exceptional commitment was recognized in 2011 when they received the Gracey Award, the Museum’s highest honor.

Their connection to the Museum can be seen throughout the institution. The DeWald Gallery bears their name, and their support helped make possible both the original gallery and its later expansion. In 2024, they served as Presenting Sponsors of Flying High in celebration of the Museum’s 40th anniversary. Their involvement extends well beyond financial support: the DeWalds have generously loaned objects from their personal collection for exhibitions, and Dr. DeWald is currently working with Museum leadership on a permanent exhibition exploring local dental history.

Their philanthropy extends throughout the Clarksville community, including a longstanding relationship with Austin Peay State University. The DeWalds have supported scholarships and initiatives in agriculture, nursing, health professions, and other areas.

Dr. DeWald is a retired U.S. Army colonel and dentist whose distinguished career included more than two decades in the Army Dental Corps and significant work in forensic dentistry and disaster response. Following his military retirement, he continued his professional career in Clarksville.

Award recipients will be honored during the SEMC2026 Annual Meeting Awards Luncheon on September 30, 2026, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina