In Wellesley's 125th birthday year, the honor of being Grand Marshal for the annual parade has been awarded to Town Historian Beth Hinchliffe, a Wellesley native who has spent much of her life working to celebrate and preserve what makes her hometown special.

 

 "We're delighted to give the town's greatest honor to Beth, who year after year through her yeoman -- or should I say ‘yeowoman' -- efforts shows her dedication and true love of our Wellesley," says parade chairman Roy Switzler.

 

 Born on Shadow Lane, the only child of Bob and the late Dorothy, she has lived on Boulder Brook Road since she was two. Her interest in town history began in the fifth grade at Bates School, when her teacher, Richard Talbot, took his class on a field trip to the Wellesley Country Club, to see the actual room where, during a dramatic town meeting in 1880, the town was born.

 

 After graduating from Wellesley High and Wellesley College, and completing her graduate work at the University of Cambridge in England and Ireland's Trinity College, she returned to Wellesley just in time for the Centennial celebrations.  Delighted to have the chance to commemorate her hometown, she immersed herself into a variety of projects -- writing the historical play, leading historical tours through town, organizing historical contests for children, and serving as m.c. for the townwide birthday celebration.

 

 Most importantly, she researched and wrote the town's history book, "Five Pounds Currency, Three Pounds of Corn."

 

 Since then, she has written more than 100 articles for the Townsman about Wellesley history, in addition to anniversary publications for a variety of town groups ranging from the Wellesley Country Club and the Wellesley Club to the centennial of the Wellesley-Needham Football Rivalry (the oldest in the country).  She has given numerous talks on town history and town government to many organizations and school classes, and has been interviewed on national television about Wellesley-related events.

 

 "As Town Historian, Beth has made us all look around at the town we share, learning about the people who came before, appreciating what we have, and deciding what we need to do to keep Wellesley special," Switzler says.

 

 While she writes about the town, she also works to keep alive what she sees as its unique spirit.  She has been a longtime Town Meeting Member, an elected Library Trustee, a Board Member of a variety of organizations, and has also led many projects, from town government committees to groups lobbying for town action, often representing them in speeches on the floor of Town Meeting.

 

 Most recently, she was the co-leader of two major grassroots efforts dedicated to maintaining Wellesley's unique history and quality of life:  the group to Save the Wellesley Country Club, and the Committee to Save the Branch Libraries.

 

 Along with 125th Celebrations Chair Tory DeFazio, Hinchliffe has been working for a year to make this commemoration memorable.  Her major anniversary projects include writing the 60-page historical supplement published in the April 6th Townsman, and writing nearly 100 pages of text for the interactive historical map, available at www.wellesley125.com.

 

 "I love this town and my neighbors, who make up an extended Wellesley family," Hinchliffe says.  "We are extraordinarily lucky to live here, in a hometown rich in history, sense of community, and quality of life.  It's always been my privilege to try to celebrate and keep alive what makes Wellesley so very special."

 

 In her career, she has been editor of the Wellesley Townsman, spent three years in the White House as Speechwriter to President George Bush, and continues to work as a political speechwriter.

 

 Hinchliffe will be riding at the head of the parade in an antique car along with her dad, Bob, this year's Veterans' Honor Award recipient; her stepmother Jeanne; and Scamper, the well-known and much-beloved cocker spaniel.

 

 "I just want everyone in Wellesley to know how absolutely thrilled and honored I am to have been chosen to be Grand Marshal," Hinchliffe says.  "This truly means so much. 

 

 "The most important part of all is that I have the amazing privilege of sharing this day with my Dad, whose legacy of giving back to our town has always been my guide.  And as we ride the parade route, as always, we'll be remembering my late Mom, who also lived these values of service, gratitude, and generosity every day of her life."