Alabama Heritage Board of Directors Presented with Gavel Hewn From Original Bryce Beam
When Gordon G. Martin, senior vice president of Alabama Power Company, accepted the reins as president of the Friends of Alabama Heritage Board of Directors, he asked outgoing president Dr. Cathy Randall, “Where’s the gavel?” What was a funny dialog between board members turned into the creation of a welcomed and treasured gift.
After the 2018 Friends of Alabama Heritage board meeting, the board took a quick tour of the Bryce campus facilities with Tim Leopard, associate vice president for Construction Administration at UA. Leopard presented each attendee with a small slab of wood from a ca. 1850s beam removed during the Bryce renovations. Martin realized this historic beam would make the perfect gavel, and he worked with David Traylor, owner of Birmingham’s City Hardwood, to create the piece.
The gavel was presented by Martin to the Friends of Alabama Heritage Board at its February 2019 meeting for its inaugural use.
Alabama Heritage is co-published by The University of Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the Alabama Department of Archives and History. The quarterly magazine covers a variety of subjects related to Alabama history and culture, and has garnered numerous local, regional and national awards over the years.