Nahil Communications Group Wins Hermes Creative Award for MIT Endicott House 50th Anniversary Book, A Home on Haven Street
Platinum Hermes is Highest Hermes Bestowed by Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals
HINGHAM, Mass., July 1, 2007 – Nahil Communications Group, Inc., a strategically focused public relations firm, has been awarded a 2007 Platinum Hermes Creative Award for its work in conceptualizing, research and writing A Home on Haven Street: A Family Album for its client MIT Endicott House. The book was commissioned by MIT to mark the fiftieth year of the Institute’s stewardship of the former Endicott and Weld family seats in Dedham, Mass. A Home on Haven Street celebrates the rich history of the manor home — now in use as an elegant conference center — by tracing the impact of the three influential New England families who have created, expanded and maintained the estate and its grounds since the property’s conception just after the Civil War. The book is divided into three sections, each dedicated to one of the three families who have left their mark on the property: the Weld family, the Endicott family and the MIT “family.”
The Hermes Creative Awards is an international awards competition for creative professionals involved in the concept, writing and design of traditional and emerging media. Hermes Creative Awards recognizes outstanding work in the industry while promoting the philanthropic nature of marketing and communication professionals.
“It is safe to say that in our collective experience, we have seldom been so moved and personally engaged by a client project as we were with the development of A Home on Haven Street. We thank the Endicott and Weld families for their open and enthusiastic cooperation through this effort. More importantly, our thanks go to the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology for allowing Nahil Communications Group the privilege to do this work on their behalf, granting us access to staff present and past, and a free hand through the fascinating MIT archives. The staff at MIT Endicott House — particularly MIT Endicott House General Manager Mike Fitzgerald — must be commended for their tireless work in guarding and updating the legacy of this historic home and its surrounding property, and for making the house come alive for us every time we visit. We wish them 50 more happy years together,” said Joseph C. Nahil, Chairman, Nahil Communications Group, Inc.
This year, there were over 3,000 entries from throughout the United States and several other countries in the Hermes Creative Awards 2007 competition. Entries came from corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising agencies, PR firms, design shops, production companies and freelancers. The Hermes Creative Awards is administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (www.amcpros.com). The international organization consists of several thousand marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, media production and free-lance professionals. AMCP oversees awards and recognition programs, provides judges and sets standards for excellence.
The MIT Endicott House, a Brief History
The original site comprising 1000 acres of land in Dedham was initially amassed by the Civil War Hero General Stephen Minot Weld in the early 1870s. Weld then built the first mansion to grace the land on 25 acres. This home was called “Rockweld.” The name was appropriate in that General Weld was credited with creating America’s first great rock garden on the property.
In the early 1920s the estate was sold to H. Wendell Endicott, scion of the family that founded the Endicott Johnson Shoe Company. Wendell Endicott proceeded to advance the horticultural achievements of his predecessor, though he razed “Rockweld” and built the Charles Platt-designed French country style mansion that exists on the site today. Additionally, Endicott and Platt extensively reworked the gardens to better reflect Endicott’s interest in elaborate displays of annual flowers. After Endicott’s passing it was
specified in his will that the estate be bequeathed to an educational institution, the selection of which would be managed by his executors. After fielding several inquiries, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was chosen as the most suitable steward of this magnificent property. The house passed into MIT’s ownership on Christmas Eve 1954 and it began its new life as a high-end full-service conference center in July 1955.
Today, the guests of Endicott House are graced with a combination of old-family elegance, including exquisite meals, an extensive wine list and the ambience of a different era. At the same time, guest have access to the most modern conference amenities one would expect from MIT, such as WiFi Internet access through out the main buildings and state-of-the-art audio and video equipment that can meet the needs of any gathering. The MIT Endicott House, one of the nation’s first conference centers, has been an important asset in helping fulfill the Institute’s academic mission for 50 years. To learn more about MIT Endicott House, its architectural, landscape and family histories, please see www.mitendicotthouse.org.
About Nahil Communications Group, Inc.
Nahil Communications Group Inc. provides public relations and marketing analysis, advice and action to client companies in the technology, financial services, food/beverage/hospitality, and non-profitmarkets. NCG is staffed exclusively by highly experienced public relations and marketing communications professionals and the agency takes a top-down, strategic approach to PR for all clients, from small businesses to global market leaders. Agency professionals look at the most significant business issues facing each client and then work to apply public relations and other communications disciplines to solve them. Fundamentally, NCG engages in big picture thinking – the kind of thinking that builds businesses. For more information, visit our Web site at www.nahilcomm.com.
For more information contact:
Christopher M. Nahil
Nahil Communications Group
(781) 749-8500
Joseph C. Nahil
Nahil Communications Group
(781) 749-8500