top of page
On The Canal Banner

During our Annual Awards Dinner of the past years, our Award Winners are as follows:

​

2013: The Premier Dinner

History Maker: Daniel Doty and George M. Verity

History Preserver: George Crout and Harry Finkelman

Lifetime Achievement: Everett Sherron

​

2014: A Night At the Paramount

History Maker: Frank Diver and Stephen Vail

History Preserver: Sam Ashworth and Perry Thatcher

Best Dressed: Sam Ashworth and Prema Irelan

​

2015: Back to School

History Maker: Kayla Harrison

History Preserver: Roger Miller

Middletown Apple Award: Barbara Schick and Richard Gardner

​

2016: FAB 50 Birthday Extravaganza

History Maker: Jerry Lucas

History Preserver: J. Knight Goodman

Pillar of Excellence: Middletown Community Foundation

​

2017: Musical Middletown:

History Maker: Kyle Schwarber

History Preserver: Debra Morrison-Snider

Pillar of Excellence: Middletown Symphony

​

2018: Tuned In

History Maker: Patrick Kessler

History Preserver: Frank Frisch

Pillar of Excellence: Rick Lawson

​

2019: Industrial Middletown

Historial Maker: Charles Hook

History Preserver: Ova Wireman

Pillar of Excellence: AK Steel

​

2020/2021: NO DINNER DUE TO COVID

​

2022: Manchester Memories

History Maker: Paul Sorg

History Preserver: Jay & Linda Moorman

Presidents Award:  Manchester Hotel

​

2023: Artists of Middletown 

History Maker: John Tytus

History Preserver: William B. Rehse

Presidents Award: Middletown Arts Center

​

2024: Retro Retail

History Maker: C. William Verity, Jr. 

History Preserver:  Middletown Pioneer Cemetery Board

Presidents Award: Downtown Middletown, Inc.

We are proud to announce that the Middletown Historical Society's 2025 Annual Dinner will be on Saturday, May 17, 2024 at 5:45 p.m. at the Shartle House Museum located at 120 North Verity Parkway, Middletown, OH 45042.

​This year's theme is "On The Canal", commemorating and celebrating the historical Bicentennial of the Miami-Erie Canal which broke ground right here in Middletown in 1825.  

Below are this years nominees for our coveted History Maker and History Preserver Awards.   Follow the link below to cast your vote for our awards.  

​

Follow the link below to purchase your tickets to this coveted event. We look forward to seeing everyone at this historical event. 

​

​​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

History Makers: A person/group who has played a significant role in making history in Middletown or making history and being from Middletown.

​

  • Todd Bell: NFL Star and Ohio State Defensive Back.

  • James E. Campbell: US Representative for Ohio and the 38th Governor of Ohio.

  • Clarence "Butch" Carter: NBA Player and Coach

  • Cris Carter: Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee and NFL Star.

  • Melville Collins: American Musical Theatre Actor, Broadway Actor, Composer and Pianist

  • George Warren Coddington: US Patent Holder: (336,796) / Inventor of Fruit Can Fastener/Lid

  • James M. Cox: US Representative for Ohio and the 46th/48th Governor of Ohio.  US Presidential Nominee 1920.  Owner and Founder of the Dayton Daily News.

  • William Henry "Bill" Hanzlik: NBA Player and Analyst; 1980 Men's Olympic Team Congressional Gold Medalist - Basketball

  • Robert “Sonny” Hill:  Middletown’s First African American Mayor.

  • McGuire Sisters: Vocal Trio

  • Clarence Page: American Journalist, Columnist and Senior Member of the Chicago Tribune.

  • Susan Perkins: Miss America 1978.

  • Helen (Gerber) Ramsdell: Longtime Middletown Singer and Vocal Coach.

  • Charlie Root: MLB Pitcher: Chicago Cubs & St. Louis Browns

  • Terry Rukavina: All America Girl's Baseball League Player.

  • James “Choppy” Saunders: Middletown’s First African American City Council Member.

  • Shepherd Sisters: Vocal Quartet

  • Dr. Frank Simon: Assistant Director for the John Philip Sousa Band and Director of the Armco Band

  • John Watson: Actor: Groundhog Day, The Fugitive, Natural Born Killers and Soul Food

  • Write In:  You are able to write in your candidate.  Past winners are not eligible. 

​

​History Preservers: A person/group who has played a significant role in preserving or recording the history of Middletown.​

​​

  • Mark and Traci Barnett:  Owners, Preservers and Restorers of the Sorg Mansion. 

  • Doug Bean: Director of Middletown Public Library for 37 years.

  • Pat Brewer:  Middletown Artist

  • Herbert Fall: Middletown Artist of Historical People, Places and Events in Middletown History

  • Dave Francis: Sponsor of Annual Middletown History Calendar

  • Jack Howard:  Middletown Illustrator of Historical Pictures

  • James McBride: Butler County Historian who wrote the Cyclopedia of Butler County including accounts of Early Middletown and Lemon Township

  • Ann Mort:  Community Preservation Activist and Author

  • South Main Street Historic District / PRISM: Non-Profit Organization to Assist in the Preservation and Revitalization of the South Main Street Historic District.

  • Judge William Todhunter: Involved in the founding of the library and Middletown History Recorder

  • Wilifred Vorhis:  Historian and Author of Middletown History

  • Woodside Cemetery and Arboretum: Preserver of final resting place of Middletownians

  • Write In:  You are able to write in your candidate.  Past winners are not eligible. 

​

bottom of page