KHS Honors 21 Organizations and Individuals at the 2022 Kentucky History Awards
Awards presented on June 4 at the Kentucky Historical Society
FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 5, 2022) - The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) recognized 21 individuals and organizations for their contributions to the field of history at the Kentucky History Awards Celebration on June 4.
This year’s winners represent communities from across Kentucky in categories that include a range of disciplines from education to publication, along with special awards named after some of the commonwealth’s greatest historians. Special awards include the James C. Klotter Lifetime Dedication to Kentucky History, the Brigadier General William R. Buster Award, and the Thomas D. Clark Award of Excellence.
“The annual Kentucky History Awards program not only recognizes outstanding achievements in Kentucky history, it demonstrates vibrant connections across the state, with our members, colleagues, and communities,” says KHS Executive Director Scott Alvey. “By celebrating their great work, we elevate the fundamental role Kentucky history plays in all corners of the commonwealth. History surrounds us in all that we do, and we continue to be inspired by the award winner’s quality contributions.”
- Thomas D. Clark Award of Excellence: Museums of Historic Hopkinsville – Christian County
- Volunteer Organization: Green River Museum
- James C. Klotter Lifetime Dedication to Kentucky History Award: David L. Morgan
- Brigadier General William R. Buster Award: Bill Neikirk
- Award of Distinction: Michael J. Denis
- Kentucky Public History Intern Award: Emma Johansen
- Publication Award – University Press: The Fall of Kentucky’s Rock: Western Kentucky Democratic Politics since the New Deal by George G. Humphreys
- Publication Award – Private Press: Waveland’s Treasures by Bob Willcutt & Susan Miller
- Publication Award – Pamphlet/Newsletter: The Shelby: Stories of Shelby County’s Good Land, Good People, Good Living, The Shelby County Historical Society
- Publication Award – Website: Tour the Historic Bluegrass, Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation
- Community Impact Award: Huntertown Community Interpretive Park
- Education Award - Public Programming: Forgotten Spirits: Paducah’s Contributions to Bourbon, Atomic City Tours
- Education Award – Public Programming: Summer Camp, The Bluegrass Experience: 1945 – 1972, The Shelby County Historical Society
- Education Award – Public Programming: Louisville Coalition on the History of Enslavement (Riverside, the Farnsley-Moremen Landing; Historic Locust Grove; Farmington Historic Plantation; Oxmoor Farm Foundation)
- Education Award – Multimedia: “Furniture Friday” Video Series, South Union Shaker Village
- Education Award – Special Projects: The Journey: Unsung Stories of the Underground Railroad, The Frazier History Museum
- Education Award – Exhibits: Local Economies, Global Impacts, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
- 2021 Kentucky Teacher of the Year: Justin Mitchell, Franklin-Simpson Middle School
- 2020 Richard H. Collins Award: “Old Kentucky Homo”: Lige Clarke’s Gay Liberation by Dr. Jonathan Coleman
- 2021 Richard H. Collins Award: Contesting the Underground: Civil War Soldier Graffiti in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky by Dr. Joseph C. Douglas and Mr. Marion O. Smith
The awards were presented on Saturday, June 4, at the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort as a kickoff event to Kentucky History Day. The awards were followed by exclusive staff and curator-led tours, gallery talks, informative workshops, and hands-on activities.
