One of the League's objectives is to preserve the stories of people from various walks of life who made a difference in Arizona. In 2023, nine Arizonans were inducted into our family of Arizona Historymakers™:
• Frank Barrios - master storyteller, social activist, water conservationist
• Michael M. Crow, Ph.D. - nationally renowned educational leader and innovator
• Angel Delgadillo - father of Arizona’s Historic Route 66, businessman
• Dolan Ellis - state balladeer for over 55 years, history preservationist
• Terry Goddard - historic preservationist, activist for transparent government
• Denise D. Resnick - compassionate changer for autism treatment, businesswoman
• Jeffrey M. Trent, Ph.D. - visionary in using genomics in medicine, founder of TGen
• Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D. - founding physician-in-chief of TGen, leading cancer researcher
• Mrs. Elizabeth J. White - restaurateur, inspiration for generations of Arizonans
Approximately 300 people attended the Oct. 14, 2023 celebration at the Arizona Heritage Center to congratulate the new 2023 Historymakers, who joined the previous 81 Historymakers honored by the Historical League since 1992. The funds raised help the League continue the Historymakers program and support Arizona students participating in the National History Day Program, and other educational programs.
National History Day is modeled after science fairs for middle and high school students. It is designed to make history come alive by engaging students through in-depth research, hands-on experience and presentations. State winners advance to the national competition. This year, more than 40 Arizona students presented their projects in the five-day event at the University of Maryland. The League supports the program by providing judges for the Arizona contests, registration assistance, and helping to defray students’ participation expenses.
The League also supports projects and improvements at the Arizona Heritage Center. Since its beginning in 1979, the League has provided more than two million dollars for various projects and 200,000 volunteer hours.
