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Historical Society of Michigan
5815 Executive Dr.
Lansing, MI 48911
Contact: Nancy Feldbush
(517) 324-1828
<mailto:hsm@hsmichigan.org> hsm(a)hsmichigan.org
For Immediate Release
2017 STATE HISTORY AWARDS PRESENTED IN HOLLAND, MICHIGAN
HOLLAND, Mich.-The Historical Society of Michigan awarded 15 top honors
during its annual State History Conference, which was held in Holland,
Michigan, Sept. 22-24, 2017. The Society presents the State History Awards
every year to individuals and organizations that have made outstanding
contributions to the appreciation, collection, preservation and/or promotion
of state and local history. The awards are the highest recognition presented
by the Historical Society of Michigan, the state's official historical
society and oldest cultural organization.
The winners are: (Detailed descriptions of each recipient are listed at the
end of this news release.)
. Lifetime Achievement Award-Le Roy Barnett of Grand Ledge
. Distinguished Volunteer Service-Toni Rumsey of Ludington
. Books: University & Commercial Press-
o "Designing Detroit: Wirt Rowland and the Rise of Modern American
Architecture" by Michael G. Smith (Wayne State University Press)
o "Detroit 1967: Origins, Impacts, Legacies" by Joel Stone (Wayne State
University Press)
o "James Jesse Strang: The Rise and Fall of Michigan's Mormon King" by
the late Don Faber (University of Michigan Press)
o "Mid-Michigan Modern: From Frank Lloyd Wright to Googie" by Susan Bandes
(Michigan State University Press)
. Books: Private Printing-
o "Footprints: Stories of Native Americans in West Central Michigan" by
Wallace K. Ewing (Wallace K. Ewing)
o "We Bought a WWII Bomber: The Untold Story of a Michigan High School, a
B-17 Bomber & the Blue Ridge Parkway" by Sandra Warren (Arlie Enterprises)
. Businesses-West Michigan Tourist Association in Grand Rapids
. Education: Educational Programs-Wild Swan Theater in Ann Arbor for
the play "Rosie the Riveter" and its associated educational materials
. Institutions-The Local History and Genealogy Collection at the
Hoyt Library in Saginaw
. Local Societies-Algonac-Clay Township Historical Society in
Algonac
. Restoration/Preservation-Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State
University in Detroit for its Michigan Labor History Mural Restoration
. Special Programs/Events-University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for
"True Blue! A Tribute to Michigan"
. Best Article in Michigan History Magazine-"Vincent Chin: A
Catalyst for the Asian-American Civil Rights Movement" by Frances Kai-Hwa
Wang of Ann Arbor
The State History Conference explores significant people, places and events
in Michigan's past through a diverse offering of keynote speakers, breakout
sessions, workshops and tours. Each year, the conference moves to a
different location to feature the local history of that area and to address
notable statewide historical matters. The Historical Society of Michigan
also hosts the Upper Peninsula History Conference, which focuses on the
history of the Upper Peninsula, and Michigan in Perspective: The Local
History Conference, which concentrates on Southeast Michigan and statewide
history.
The 2017 State History Conference was sponsored by Meijer Inc., the Edgar
and Elsa Prince Foundation, Hope College, the Holland Museum, Van Raalte
Press, and the Joint Archives of Holland.
The Historical Society of Michigan is the state's oldest cultural
organization, founded in 1828 by territorial governor Lewis Cass and
explorer Henry Schoolcraft. A nongovernmental nonprofit, the Society focuses
on publications, conferences, education, awards and recognition programming,
and support for local history organizations to preserve and promote
Michigan's rich history.
-----------------------------
The 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Dr. Le Roy Barnett of
Grand Ledge. Barnett earned a bachelor's degree in geography and forestry
and a master's in geography and geology from Michigan State University. He
received his Master of Library Science degree from Western Michigan
University and his Ph.D. in historical geography from Michigan State
University. Barnett became a familiar figure to countless amateur and
professional historians through his 23 years as a reference archivist for
the Michigan History Bureau. Barnett has researched hundreds of papers and
articles for various publications and has written numerous books, including
"Mining in Michigan," "Shipping Literature of the Great Lakes," and
"Michigan's Early Military Forces."
The 2017 State History Award for Distinguished Volunteer Service was
presented to Toni Rumsey of Ludington for her years of service to the
Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center. Rumsey manages the organization's
reference department and archives, where she has compiled and digitized a
vast amount of information about the area. She has served on the museum's
board of directors, written books about local history, created exhibits, led
tours and trained other volunteers. Her tireless work on behalf of the
museum and local history exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism.
Detroit architectural historian Michael G. Smith received a State History
Award in the category of Books: University & Commercial Press for "Designing
Detroit: Wirt Rowland and the Rise of Modern American Architecture,"
published by Wayne State University Press. The book spotlights the work of
little-known but innovative architect Wirt Rowland, the chief designer
working under Albert Kahn, and analyzes Rowland's accomplishments in
building design and his influence as a leader of Detroit's architectural
community throughout the first half of the 20th century.
A State History Award in the category of Books: University & Commercial
Press was presented to Joel Stone for "Detroit 1967: Origins, Impacts,
Legacies," published by Wayne State University Press. Stone, the senior
curator of the Detroit Historical Society, edited 25 essays from journalists
and historians to craft a book that leads to a better understanding of one
of the worst civil disturbances in American history. In "Detroit 1967,"
Stone presents a series of powerful writings that take readers down a
timeline from colonial slavery, the Jim Crow Era and the summer of 1967 to
the present day.
The late Don Faber of Ann Arbor was presented a State History Award in the
category of Books: University & Commercial Press for "James Jesse Strang:
The Rise and Fall of Michigan's Mormon King," published by University of
Michigan Press. Faber's book chronicles Strang's remarkable story. During
the time he spent in Michigan, Strang attempted to fill a power vacuum left
by the death of Mormon leader Joseph Smith and, for six years, ruled as
"king" of a colony of believers on Beaver Island in northern Lake Michigan.
His book brings to life the Mormon leader's role in the early history of
Michigan.
Susan Bandes received a State History Award in the category of Books:
University & Commercial Press for "Mid-Michigan Modern: From Frank Lloyd
Wright to Googie," published by Michigan State University Press. The book
explores the rich variety of modernist architecture that sprang up in the
mid-Michigan area around Lansing and East Lansing from 1940 to 1970.
"Mid-Michigan Modern" instills a sense of appreciation for the
forward-looking, progressive ideals expressed in the mid-century's
architectural designs.
Wallace K. Ewing, Ph.D., of Grand Haven received a State History Award in
the category of Books: Private Printing for his self-published "Footprints:
Stories of Native Americans in West Central Michigan." His book documents
the lives of hundreds of Native Americans who lived in the Grand River
Valley area. The book's genealogical section includes concise biographical
sketches of almost 1,700 individuals. Eight watercolors by artist Linda
Foley illustrate the book, and Jay Sam of the Little River Band of Ottawa
Indians provided the book's foreword.
Sandra Warren received a State History Award in the category of Books:
Private Printing for "We Bought a WWII Bomber: The Untold Story of a
Michigan High School, a B-17 Bomber & the Blue Ridge Parkway," published by
Arlie Enterprises. Her book chronicles an episode in the World War II "Buy A
Bomber" campaign, where students at South High School in Grand Rapids
purchased a B-17 Flying Fortress. "We Bought a WWII Bomber" brings to life
the stories of South High's participation in the "Buy A Bomber" program, the
Spirit of South High Flying Fortress, and wartime patriotism.
The 2017 State History Award for Businesses was presented to the West
Michigan Tourist Association (WMTA) for its promotion and publications of
the history of western Michigan. Founded in 1917 as the nation's first
grassroots tourist organization, the WMTA remains a nonprofit company funded
by its west Michigan business members and promotes west Michigan travel
destinations to a national audience. To celebrate the centennial of its
founding, the WMTA created a 100-year timeline of the region and published a
book of photographs and images entitled "100 Years of Carefree Days in West
Michigan" and a 2017 travel guide that focused on its organizational
history.
The 2017 State History Award for Education: Educational Programs was
presented to the Wild Swan Theater in Ann Arbor for its production of "Rosie
the Riveter" and the educational materials it developed for the play. Wild
Swan created its original production of "Rosie the Riveter" to tell the
story of the women who filled factory jobs during World War II to take the
place of men who were called up for military service. The program was
designed for students in grades 4 to 12.
The 2017 State History Award for Institutions was presented to the Local
History and Genealogy Collection at the Hoyt Library in Saginaw. The Hoyt
Library opened in 1890 and, in 1960, created its local history and genealogy
department as a central repository for Saginaw history. The department now
numbers among the Midwest's premier local history collections. In 2016, the
library added a Saginaw Latino American Community Collection to represent
and preserve Saginaw County's Latino-American culture.
The 2017 State History Award for Local Societies was presented to the
Algonac-Clay Township Historical Society of Algonac. The society was founded
in 1991 and began collecting artifacts and archival materials as it sought a
location for exhibits, eventually moving into the Bostwick Building and
converting it into the Community Museum. Another site includes a log cabin,
an interurban railway station, and a building that features farming and
logging exhibits. The society's "Legends" statue honors the Chris Smith-Gar
Wood Boat factory and the area's boating industry, and its Maritime Museum
opened in 2013.
The 2017 State History Award for Restoration/Preservation was presented to
the Walter P. Reuther Library at Wayne State University for its Michigan
Labor History Mural Restoration. The Reuther Library's two-year project
preserved, restored and exhibited a 9- by 20-foot oil painting in its public
reading room. The restoration project repaired 75 years of stains and damage
and returned the painting to its original beauty.
The 2017 State History Award for Special Programs/Events was presented to
the University of Michigan for its production of "True Blue! A Tribute to
Michigan." The live-action multimedia presentation celebrated the
bicentennial of the university's founding. It incorporated music, theater,
and dance and featured celebrated alumni performing alongside faculty and
students from many University of Michigan schools and colleges. Performed
for an audience of 3,500 people, "True Blue" hailed the university's
history, accomplishments, tradition and character.
The 2017 State History Award for the Best Article in Michigan History
Magazine was presented to Frances Kai-Hwa Wang for her article "Vincent
Chin: A Catalyst for the Asian-American Civil Rights Movement." The article
appeared in the magazine's March/April 2017 edition and examined the 1982
murder of Vincent Chin, a Chinese-American auto industry draftsman. Two men
were charged with second-degree murder, pled guilty to manslaughter, and
were sentenced to probation and fines. The light sentence outraged the
nation's Asian-American community and led to changes in hate-crime law and
minimum sentencing, along with recognition of victims' rights.
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