The Mercy Otis Warren ‘Cape Cod Woman of the Year’ Selection Committee is pleased to announce that nominations are now being accepted for the 21st annual award honoring a woman on Cape Cod. The Recipient of this award demonstrates an outstanding contribution to her community.
The Mercy Otis Warren ‘Cape Cod Woman of the Year’ award honors a Cape Cod woman who has made significant contributions in the arts, business, education, community involvement, and volunteerism. Recipients exemplify the spirit of Mercy Otis Warren, an early American patriot born and raised in Barnstable.
Nominations should be presented on one typewritten page describing what qualifies the candidate and what makes her unique and deserving of such an honor.
Nominations should include as much multifaceted information about the nominees as possible.
There are three options for submitting a nomination until 11:59 PM on Patriots’ Day, Monday, April 18, 2022:
1. Submit a nomination online at https://bit.ly/MOW2022. The electronic form with prompt you to upload a nomination letter.
2. Mail the nomination letter to: Mercy Otis Warren Cape Cod Woman of the Year, Selection Committee, c/o Barnstable County, P.O. Box 427, Cummaquid, MA 02630
3. Email the nomination letter to mailto:mercyotiswarrencapecod@gmail.com
The Cape 2022 Woman of the Year will be presented with a statuette of Mercy Otis Warren by local, celebrated sculptor David Lewis, as have all past recipients since the inception of the annual event in 2002.
Note that the Recipient will be asked to participate in the 4th of July parade in Barnstable Village.
Mary Leclair, Recipient in 2009 and now a Selection Committee Member, said, ” Winning the award was a highlight in my life and career. To be a part of the group who came before me and the women who chose me was an honor that was also humbling. It made me want to work harder to make this Cape of ours a better place for all.”
“Mercy Otis Warren was a woman of profound insight and deep influence in the founding of our nation,” said Wendy Northcross, Recipient of the award in 2021, “And she was a West Barnstable native, experiencing daily life as I do today, overlooking the Great Marsh and studying at the 1717 Meetinghouse. Her history is one for which I have great respect, so having been conferred an award in her name is an immense honor for me.”
This year the award ceremony will take place on Flag Day, Tuesday, June 14, 2022, at the 1717 Meetinghouse in West Barnstable located at 2049 Meetinghouse Way. The event will coincide with the annual Flag Day community event, a collaboration among the West Barnstable Fire Department, Meetinghouse Farm, and the West Barnstable Civic Association. Residents are invited to embrace a patriotic spirit by participating in both events.
Admission to the Mercy Otis Warren event is free, and donations will be accepted.
Details about the recognition, its history, and its generous, local sponsors are available online at
http://www.barnstablecounty.org/affiliated-organizations/mercy-otis-warren-woman-year/
Email questions to the Selection Committee at mercyotiswarrencapecod@gmail.com.
ABOUT THE MERCY OTIS WARREN WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD: Past recipients include 2002 Marion R. Vuilleumier | 2003 Jean D. Gardner | 2004 Eugenia Fortes | 2005 Felicia R. Penn | 2006 Bonnie M. Snow | 2007 Lynne M. Poyant | 2008 Josephine P. Ives | 2009 Mary L. LeClair | 2010 Gloria W. Rudman | 2011 Susan A. French | 2012 Judy Walden Scarafile | 2013 Dorothy A. Savarese | 2014 Mary Lou Petitt | 2015 Michelle L. DeSilva | 2016 Ann M. Williams | 2017 Dolores Holden Daluz | 2018 Nancy Viall Shoemaker | 2019 Juliet Bernstein | 2020 Mimi McConnell | 2021 Wendy Northcross
ABOUT MERCY OTIS WARREN: Mercy Otis Warren was born in the village of West Barnstable in 1728. Mercy was the third of thirteen children and first daughter born to James and Mary Allyne Otis. While her older brother James (“The Patriot”) was recognized as one of the Sons of Liberty in the 1760s, Mercy Otis Warren has been called “The First Lady of the American Revolution.”
In an era when it was unusual for women to obtain any schooling beyond reading and writing, Mercy’s father, Judge James Otis, Sr., allowed her to study with the West Parish Reverend Jonathan Russell. At the same time, he tutored her brothers in preparation for Harvard College.
When Mercy Otis Warren married James Warren in 1754, she became increasingly active in his political life, and their home became the focal point of local politics. Encouraged by her husband, who fondly called her “The Scribbler,” Mercy published poems, plays, and pamphlets that challenged British royal authority and urged colonial resistance. Later, during the debate over the United States Constitution, she advocated for the inclusion of a Bill of Rights. Mercy also emphasized the importance of women in politics and society.
Mercy Otis Warren is still recognized as one of the most influential women. In 1943, a Liberty Ship SS Mercy Warren was launched in her honor, and on October 5, 2002, she was posthumously inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York. Mercy Otis Warren was more than a woman ahead of her time; she was a beacon of light that would have illuminated any era.
MEDIA CONTACT: Sonja Sheasley, sonja.sheasley@barnstablecounty.org
