Kentucky Historical Society Honoring 18 Individuals and Organizations at Annual History Awards
Kentucky Historical Society Honoring 18 Individuals and Organizations at Annual History Awards
Awards will be presented June 1 at the Kentucky Historical Society
Frankfort, Ky. (May 28, 2024) – The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) will recognize 18 individuals and organizations for their contributions to the field of history at the Kentucky History Awards Celebration on June 1. KHS will also acknowledge the eight grant-recipient organizations recently receiving funding through the Local History Trust Fund. This funding pool supports the efforts of local history organizations to preserve and share Kentucky stories. Organizations in six Kentucky counties received grants totaling $11,000. Individual amounts range from $823.15 to $2,500 for exhibition expansion, collections management, archiving, technology updates, and programming projects.
This year’s history award winners represent communities across Kentucky in categories ranging from education to publication, along with special awards named after some of the Commonwealth’s greatest historians. Special awards include the Dr. James C. Klotter Lifetime Dedication to Kentucky History Award, the Brigadier General William R. Buster Award and the Thomas D. Clark Award of Excellence.
“The Kentucky History Awards program is not just a platform to appreciate exceptional accomplishments in Kentucky history, it is a testament to the Kentucky Historical Society's commitment to fostering strong connections throughout the state among our members, colleagues and communities,” emphasizes Scott Alvey, KHS Executive Director. “By acknowledging the remarkable achievements of our award winners, we spotlight Kentucky history's crucial role in every aspect of the Commonwealth. Their valuable contributions continue to inspire us, reminding us that history surrounds us in all that we do.”
This year’s recipients include:
- Thomas D. Clark Award of Excellence – Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation
- Dr. James C. Klotter Lifetime Dedication to Kentucky History Award – Russell Hatter
- Brigadier General William R. Buster Award – Major General (Ret.) Richard L. Frymire
- Award of Distinction – Susan Dyer
- Frank R. Levstik Award for Professional Service – Kandie Adkinson
- Volunteer Organization – Harrodsburg Historical Society
- Kentucky Public History Intern Award – Hayley Salo
- Community Impact Award – Trigg County Historical Society, Gus Puth, Ed Smith - The Cadiz Railroad Scale Model Permanent Exhibit
- Publication Award – University Press: The Vice President’s Black Wife: The Untold Life of Julia Chinn by Amrita Chakrabarti Myers
- Publication Award – Private Press: The Louisville Classics: The Architecture of Hugh Lloyd Nevin and Frederic Lindley Morgan by John David Myles
- Publication Award – Pamphlets & Other Printed Material: Footprints: Traces of Black History in Richmond, Kentucky – Madison County Historical Society
- Publication Award – Website: Canada Family Timeline ¬– Capital City Museum
- Education Award - Public Programming: SCHS Summer History Camp – Shelby County Historical Society
- Education Award – Public Programming: The Notable Louisville Neighborhood Series – The Filson Historical Society
- Education Award – Special Projects: Corner in Celebrities Walking Tour – Capital City Museum
- Education Award – Special Projects: Road to Freedom – Liza Pruiksma, The Dinsmore Homestead, and the Boone County Public Library
- Education Award – Multimedia: Any Old Place Podcast – Capital City Museum
- Education Award – Exhibit: Network to Freedom – Camp Nelson National Monument
- 2023 Gilder Lehrman Kentucky Teacher of the Year – Sarah Wilder, W.R. McNeill Elementary School, Bowling Green
- 2023 Richard H. Collins Award – Emily Muhich – “In the Beginning: Kentucky and the Failure of the First Anti-Evolution Legislation”
The awards will be presented on Saturday, June 1, at the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort as a kickoff event to Kentucky History Day. Breakfast and networking start at 9 a.m. EDT, followed by the awards presentation at 9:30. After the awards, living history demonstrations, performances, exhibitions, and the first-ever Kentucky History Day Old-Time Music Contest will take place across the KHS campus. For more information about these events and the Kentucky Historical Society, visit www.history.ky.gov.
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The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) is an agency in Kentucky’s Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet. The KHS campus has three sites in historic downtown Frankfort: The Old State Capitol; the Kentucky Military History Museum; and the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History serving as KHS headquarters with a signature museum, exhibits, library, research facilities, object & archival collections, museum store, and more. KHS is a Smithsonian Affiliate and has full American Alliance of Museums accreditation.