MISSOURI HUMANITIES COUNCIL ANNOUNCES 2005 GOVERNOR’S HUMANITIES COMMUNITY HERITAGE AWARDS

Awarded to Neita Geilker, Elaine Koepke, and Christopher Harris for work on Liberty’s Century House Project, proposed by Geilker in 2002 to the Liberty Historic District Review Commission, to identify and authenticate all of the hundred-year-old houses and buildings in Liberty.

Through promotion of owner plaques, and the publication of a poster, then the book, Liberty’s Living Legacy: 19th Century Buildings 1830-1899, these awardees have raised the consciousness of the Liberty community about its architectural treasures. Publication of the book in 2004 coincided with the 175th anniversary of Liberty’s incorporation as a city.

In addition to serving as spokesperson for the project, Geilker contributed text for the book and server as editor. Koepke, a Hallmark artist, photographed the houses, and designed the book and poster layout and cover. Harris, who proposed the idea of the book, did authentication research and also provided text.

Described as a driving force for the Humanities in Jefferson City, Dottie Dallmeyer has worked tirelessly to preserve and restore historic buildings in the Jefferson City area. She devotes countless hours educating others and celebrating the history of the area, including the historic East side. She serves as a member of the Jefferson City Historic Preservation Commission and as a docent at the Cole County Historical Society Museum.

She and her late father, noted local historian Dr. Joseph S. Summers, published a pictorial history of Jefferson City in 2000. This book showcases the history of the capital city from 1826 through the flood of 1993 with over 200 captioned, vintage photographs.
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Dallmeyer's community involvement also includes roles as organizer of the Capitol City Jazzfest, Jefferson City Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commission task force, and co-coordinator for the local Heritage Week.

In 2001, the Zonta Club of Jefferson City honored Dottie for her community service as a "Woman of Achievement."

Dallmeyer is also an educator, founder of the Jefferson City Moreau Montessori School, and currently serving as a Director. She also works with homebound students, and has run the Grace Episcopal Church Nursery for the past 17 years.

Scott Huegerich and Bob Miano’s feature-length documentary film, The World’s Greatest Fair, had its World Premiere with a sold-out audience of 4,500 people at the St. Louis’ historic Fox Theatre, and received a rave four-star review from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The film went on to a summer and fall of sold-out screenings at both the St. Louis International Film Festival and at the Missouri History Museum, and was broadcast locally by KMOV-TV, St. Louis. The film was also provided for a fundraiser to benefit the Audrain County Historical Society in Mexico, MO—one of the providers of photos for the film.

The documentary is an in-depth view of a defining moment in St. Louis history which features hundreds of never-before-seen images, the first high definition transfer of rare film footage of The Fair, and interviews with nationally recognized historians.

Co-directors/producers Huegerich and Miano, along with 150 volunteers, spent over a year and a half carefully crafting this wonderful documentary. Through months of research, digital scanning, restoration of hundreds of rare images from the archives of the Missouri Historical Society, and many long hours of editing, the production team tirelessly worked with one goal in mind—to preserve the history of the 1904 World’s Fair and reach national audiences of all ages and from all walks of life.

To learn more about the Governor’s Humanities Awards, this year’s honorees, or to nominate someone for the 2006 Public Involvement, Community Heritage, Excellence in Secondary Education, or Book Awards, please visit our website, http://www.mohumanities.org.

MHC is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities, a Federal agency.