The History Hero Award
About the Award
The History Hero award is bestowed by the executive leadership team of the Historical Society of Michigan to a person who, while usually not working directly in the history field, has made significant and lasting contributions that align with the mission of the Historical Society of Michigan and who has given a lifetime of dedication to the preservation and promotion of Michigan’s rich and storied history. The award is usually presented at one of HSM's history conferences.
Looking to Nominate Someone?
Our History Hero Awards are not open for public nominations, but we offer many other awards options that do! We encourage you to check out our State History Awards and Upper Peninsula History Awards to explore those nomination options. If you have any questions about where to start, our awards teams is always available at awards@hsmichigan.org.
Previous Awardees of the History Hero Award
Past Winners:
2017
Ellis "Ned" Brandt of Midland
Presented in person
2018
Avern Cohn, Bloomfield Hills
Presented at the Michigan in Perspective Conference
2018
Richard Santer, Big Rapids
Presented at the Michigan History Conference
2019
Janet Mendler, South Lyon
Presented at the Michigan in Perspective Conference
2019
James Paquette, Negaunee
Presented at the Upper Peninsula History Conference
2019
William Anderson, Ludington
Presented at the Michigan History Conference
2021
Leslie Williams, Detroit
Presented at the Michigan in Perspective Conference
2021
Tawny Ryan Nelb, Midland
Presented at the Michigan History Conference
2022
Eugene Wanger, Lansing
Presented at the Michigan History Conference
2023
Chuck Stokes, Southfield
Presented at the Michigan in Perspective: Local History Conference
2023
Diane Schmitigal, Goetzville
Presented at the Upper Peninsula History Conference
Questions?
Our awards team is ready to help with any of your comments, questions, and more regarding our award programs. Send us an email at awards@hsmichigan.org or call (517) 324-1828 for assistance.