Nominations Due by May 1: Dallas Historical Society’s Dallas History Makers Awards for Excellence
(Featured photo: Scott and Samantha Goldstein, Luncheon Chairs; Marnie and Kern Wildenthal, Honorary Chairs; Karl Chiao, Executive Director, DHS)
The Dallas History Makers Awards for Excellence Luncheon is an annual event that recognizes and honors those individuals and organizations that make a positive contribution to our community.
Please take a moment to submit a nomination for the individual or organization that you think is a history maker in the following categories: Arts Leadership, Business, Creative Arts, Education, Health/Science, Humanities/History, Philanthropy, Sports Leadership, Volunteer Community Leadership, or Jubilee History Maker.
Previous Award Recipients include Mary Kay Ash, Tim Brown, Linda Pitts Custard, Trini Garza, Norm Hitzges, The Reverend Dr. Ronald E. Jones, Dr. Steven Pounders, and Clarice Tinsley, to name a few. For a complete list of previous recipients, please click on the following: Dallas History Makers.
Things to remember when making a nomination:
- Make sure the nominee is available to attend the luncheon on Thursday, November 19, 2026. Recipients must accept award in person.
- Each nominee may have up to three letters of endorsement and up to three pages of biographical or related information.
- Provide a list of professional achievements/resume.
- Include three letters of support from various community sources/leaders.
- Include supporting documents, for example: news articles, other awards, accolades, testimonials.
Here is a flashback to the November 2025 Luncheon:
The Dallas Historical Society’s Dallas History Makers Awards for Excellence Luncheon Celebrated Its 43rd Year and Honored the 2025 Award Recipients
The Dallas Historical Society’s (DHS) Dallas History Makers Awards for Excellence luncheon celebrated its 43rd year and the awards recipients with their friends, family, community and business leaders at the Fairmont Hotel’s International Ballroom.
Karl Chiao, DHS executive director and luncheon chairs Samantha and Scott Goldstein welcomed guests as they arrived and mixed and mingled prior to an absolutely delicious three-course luncheon.
As the luncheon began, Stewart H. Thomas, Master of Ceremonies, welcomed the crowd and thanked the honorary chairs, Marnie and Kern Wildenthal. He introduced Karl and thanked him for his leadership.
Introducing a short video that gave an overview of DHS and its history, mission and vision for the future, Karl said DHS celebrates history in motion and that the past ignites the future. He said this is the 43rd year for DHS to host the luncheon and he was honored to welcome everyone. He also said that since 1938, DHS has been the caretaker of the Hall of State at Fair Park.
Stewart then introduced Rabbi David Stern, Temple Emanu-El, Dallas for the invocation.
The event was topped off with the traditional A.C. Greene Champagne Toast.
The awards were established on behalf of the Trustees of the Dallas Historical Society in 1981. Outstanding individuals and organizations are selected for this honor from nominations solicited from the Dallas community. The recipients are chosen for their contribution to the quality of life in Dallas in multiple categories, including Arts Leadership, Creative Arts, Education, Health/Science, History, Humanities, Philanthropy, Sports, Volunteer Community Leadership, Jubilee History Maker and DHS Benefactor of the Year.
Learn more about the Dallas Historical Society, corporate and individual memberships and benefits at www.dallashistory.org
About: The 2025 Dallas History Makers Awards for Excellence will be the 43rd annual award event held by the Dallas Historical Society. The awards were established on behalf of the Trustees of the Dallas Historical Society in 1981. The first Awards program was so well received it was decided to continue the idea of recognizing community service with an annual awards ceremony sponsored by the Society.
Outstanding individuals and organizations are selected for this honor from nominations solicited from the Dallas community. The recipients are chosen for their contribution to the quality of life in Dallas in multiple categories, including Arts Leadership, Business, Creative Arts, Education, Health/Science, History, Humanities, Philanthropy, Volunteer Community Leadership and Jubilee History Maker. Recipients must be residents of Dallas County and willing to accept their awards in person. Awards are not voted posthumously.
Back Row: Stewart Thomas, Master of Ceremonies; Robert L. Fine, M.D., Health/Science; Tomás Bustos, Creative Arts; Katie H. Robbins, Hoblitzelle Foundation, Philanthropy; Dr. Samuel S. Holland, Arts Leadership; Karleen Kusin and Julie Tobolowsky, Microchip Cookies.
Front Row: Mason Custard and Elizabeth Robertson, Founders Garden Club of Dallas, Volunteer Community Leadership; Donna Wilhelm, Humanities; Harryette Ehrhardt, History; Mary Pat Higgins, Education; Amy Bean, Friends of the Katy Trail, Jubilee History Maker.
Arts Leadership – Dr. Samuel S. Holland
Honored for being a long-standing champion of the Dallas arts community and as the Dean of the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University, he has fostered an environment where innovation and artistic excellence thrive by bringing his leadership and musical accomplishments to the faculty and student population.
Business – Microchip Cookies
Honored for being founded by two “Mompreneurs in America” according to the Katie Couric Show, the Microchip Cookie is the world’s smallest chocolate chip cookie and has become an international sensation.
Creative Arts – Tomás Bustos
Honored for being a distinguished artist, educator, and mentor, Tomás Bustos founded the Fine Arts Sculpture Studio, nurturing emerging artists. In retirement he is involved in Masterpiece Relief for the Blind, which makes fine art accessible to the visually impaired through 3D relief sculptures.
Education – Mary Pat Higgins
Honored for her dedication to education as the former Head and CFO of The Hockaday School and currently the President and CEO of The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, her devotion to education our community on civil rights, history, and social injustice is unparalleled.
Health/Science – Dr. Robert Fine
Honored for his commitment to palliative care for end-of-life patients and their families, through lectures and teaching. As the Director of Baylor Scott & White Health’s 18 supportive palliative teams he is an expert leader is this much neglected field.
History – Harryette Ehrhardt
Honored for her dedication to the preservation of historic structures and those whose stories helped build them, the staunch humanitarian is a symbol of how history can benefit our community.
Humanities – Donna Wilhelm
Honored for her thoughtful and deliberate support of mental health, conservation and education efforts, her involvement with the Dallas Theater Center, KERA, NPR Foundation, DFW World Affair Council, and SMU Meadows Data Arts, to name a few, has enhanced their services and programing.
Philanthropy – Hoblitzelle Foundation
Honored for approving over 3,500 grants to Dallas and Texas’s non-profit community since 1942. The Foundation has supported institutions that provide social, cultural, educational, and medical services.
Volunteer Community Leadership – Founders Garden Club of Dallas
Honored for the restoration and historic preservation of the Aldredge House Museum Conservatory, which encourages educational outreach, partnerships with historic architecture and horticulture experts and volunteers, enabling the Conservatory to be an asset to the community.
Jubilee History Maker – Friends of the Katy Trail
Honored for a 25+ year commitment to transforming an abandoned 3.5-mile rail line that ran through the middle of Dallas into a flourishing outdoor amenity that offers Dallas a clean, safe, and beautiful trail. This public-private venture is a prime example of how such a partnership can benefit the citizens of Dallas. With millions of visits from the community each year the Katy Trail has become a recreational haven for Dallas.
About Dallas Historical Society
Established in 1922, the Dallas Historical Society is the preeminent organization of its kind in Dallas, collecting, preserving, and exhibiting the heritage of Dallas and Texas to educate and inspire future generations. Housed at the Hall of State in Fair Park since 1938, the Society presents these collections through education programs, exhibitions, tours, access to research materials and workshops. Each year, the Dallas Historical Society is visited by more than 160,000 people and serves more than 20,000 students through guided tours and educational programming at the Hall of State, as well as outreach programs at school locations. More information is available at https://www.dallashistory.org/.
About Hall of State
Built by the State of Texas for the 1936 Centennial Exposition in Fair Park, the Hall of State has hosted events honoring presidents, royalty, heads of state, and other dignitaries for over eighty years. Located just minutes from downtown Dallas, the Hall of State can be rented for private functions ranging from corporate dinners or meetings to weddings or gala social events. Rental fees support the operations of the Dallas Historical Society, which calls the Hall of State “home.”
IG: @dallashistory FB: @DallasHistoricalSociety
Photos by Rob Wythe/Wythe Portrait Studio
(Sharon Adams, Adams Communications Public Relations, is honored to represent the Dallas Historical Society and its special events and announcements and post this Philanthropy Lifestyles Scene.)
