Category: Outstanding Achievement Award

2022 The RAIL Memorial Project We are proud to recognize The RAIL (Railroad Incarcerated Laborer) Memorial Project as the winner of our

2020 Ann Miller Woodford Ann Miller Woodford won the 2020 award for her work preserving and promoting the history of

          2016 Doug Orr Dr. Doug Orr received the award for his years of contribution to

          2015 Patricia D. Beaver Dr. Pat Beaver received the award to recognize her impressive contribution

          2014 Gordon B. McKinney Dr. Gordon McKinney received the award for educating generations of students

          2013 Fred Davis Chappell Acclaimed poet and novelist Fred Chappell was born on a small

          2011 Steve Hill, Thomas Wolfe Memorial Steve Hill began managing the Thomas Wolfe Site after

          2010 Helen Wykle, UNC-Asheville Special Collections at D. Hiden Ramsey Library Ramsey Library Special Collections

          2009 Henderson County Heritage Museum The Henderson County Heritage Museum collects, preserves, researches, and exhibits

          2008 George A. Jones Dr. George Alexander Jones founded the Henderson County Genealogical and Historical

          2007 Harley and Betty Jolley Dr. Harley E. Jolley, also known as “Mr. Blue Ridge

          2006 Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College The Asheville–Buncombe Technical Community College 144-acre main campus received the award

          2005 South Asheville Cemetery Association The South Asheville Cemetery is a two-acre burial ground that

          2004 Thomas Wolfe Memorial, NC Department of Cultural Resources The NC Department of Cultural Resources

          2003 Harriet Styles, Swannanoa Valley Museum In 1976, Harriet Styles created a small history exhibit

          2002 Historic Resources Commission of Asheville and Buncombe County The Historic Resources Commission of Asheville

          2001 J. Ron Holland Ron Holland served as the Manager of the Western Office of

          2000 Museum of the Cherokee Indian Founded in 1948, the Museum of the Cherokee Indian

          1999 Doris Cline Ward Doris Cline Ward received the award for her work with the

          1998 Richard S. Dillingham Born and reared on a tobacco farm in northern Buncombe County,

          1997 Cherokee Historical Association The Cherokee Historical Association won the 1997 award for impressive historical

          1996 Betty H. Sherrill Betty Sherrill, former president of the Transylvania County Historical Society, received

          1995 Waynesville Historical Society The Waynesville Historical Society received the award in 1995 for their

          1993 Historic Valdese Foundation The Historic Valdese Foundation won the award in 1993 for their

          1992 Walter F. Ashe Retired naval lieutenant, Walter Ashe received the award in 1992 for

          1991 Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe

          1990 Appalachian Cultural Center The Appalachian Cultural Center, a museum of mountain life, opened at

          1989 Millie Barbee Millie Barbee, executive director of the Historic Burke Foundation, won the award

          1988 Big Ivy Historical Society The Big Ivy Historical Society won the award in 1988

          1987 Roy A. Taylor Roy A. Taylor (1910 – 1995), former representative in Congress from

          1986 S. Kent Schwarzkopf Asheville native S. Kent Schwarzkopf (b. 1953) won the award for

          1985 Robert G. Fortune, Jr. Robert Greer Fortune, Jr., Asheville historian and retired executive for

          1984 Johnny Baxter Johnny Franklin Baxter (1910 – 1996), a native Asheville preservationist, historian, and

          1983 Sarah G. Upchurch Sarah G. Upchurch (c1921 – 2000), won the award for her

          1982 Harley E. Jolley Dr. Harley E. Jolley, also known as “Mr. Blue Ridge Parkway,”

          1981 Frances McDowell and Ruth Camblos Under the aegis of the Western North Carolina Historical

          1980 Bob Terrell Bob Terrell (c1929 – 2009), columnist for the Asheville Citizen, was the 1980

          1979 George Myers Stephens George Myers Stephens (1904 – 1978) took a job appraising timber in Swain and Haywood counties

          1978 Ora Blackmun Ora Blackmun (1892 – 1984), the Asheville author of Western North Carolina: Its

          1977 Lena Penland Purkey Lena Lucas Penland Purkey (1904 – 1994) grew up in Madison

          1976 The Appalachian Consortium Press The Appalachian Consortium Press was founded in 1973 – the

          1975 Mary Myrtle Cornwell Mary Myrtle Cornwell (1911 – 2001) won the award in 1975

          1974 Goingback Chiltoskey Goingback Chiltoskey (1904 – 2000), noted Cherokee woodcarver, was presented the 1974

          1973 Bascom Lamar Lunsford Bascom Lamar Lunsford (1882 – 1973), 91-year-old Buncombe County folklorist, won

          1972 Cratis D. Williams Dr. Cratis Dearl Williiams (1911 – 1985), dean of the graduate

          1971 John A. Parris John Alvis Parris, Jr. (1914 – 1999), Sylva-native and Asheville Citizen-Times

          1970 The Carson House The Carson House historic site project in McDowell County was presented

          1969 W. Clark Medford Haywood County historian, W. Clark Medford (1882 – 1974), won the

          1968 William E. Bird Dr. William E. Bird (1890 – 1975), president emeritus and longtime

          1967 Myra Champion, NC Collection at Pack Memorial Library Myra Champion (1905 – 1988), librarian

          1966 Florence Harrison Dunlop Florence Leftwich Harrison Dunlop (1901 – 1979) was an educator and

          1965 Paul A. Rockwell Col. Paul Ayres Rockwell (1889 – 1985), a past president of

        1964 Cordelia Camp Dr. Cordelia Camp (1884 – 1973) of Asheville, retired educator, received the award

        1963 Samuel E. Beck Samuel Edmund Beck (1898 – 1966) of Asheville, businessman, historian, and author,

        1962 The Vetust Study Club The Vetust Study Club of Asheville received the award in 1962

        1961 Asheville Citizen-Times Departing from its usual custom of presenting the award to an individual, the

        1960 Hiram C. Wilburn Hiram Coleman Wilburn (1880 – 1967) of Waynesville received the award in

        1959 Glenn Tucker Glenn Irving Tucker (1892 – 1976), author and historian, of Flat Rock received

        1958 Margaret W. Freel Historian Margaret Walker Freel (1895 – 1982) of Andrews, received the award

        1957 Owen H. Gudger Owen Gudger (1880 – 1959), a lifelong resident of Buncombe County, won

        1956 Clarence W. Griffin Clarence Wilbur Griffin (1902 – 1958), managing editor of the Forest City Courier,

        1955 George W. McCoy George William McCoy (1901-1962), newspaper editor, won the award in 1955 for

        1954 Sadie Smathers Patton Sadie Smathers Patton (1886 – 1975) of Hendersonville won the first annual