BEDFORD – On Monday night, middle-schoolers were honored at the annual Phil Mitchell Excellence in History awards night hosted by the Lawrence County Historical and Genealogical Society (LCHGS) at the Lawrence County Museum of History.
The room was filled with celebration as LCHGS Board Member Ken Hackney discussed the late Phil Mitchell. Phil was a man of character. He was kind, honest, and hardworking. He demonstrated daily the embodiment of what it means to be a good person. His legacy lives on through the people he loved, the talents he shared, and the communities he served. This contest was created to honor Phil and continue his work promoting and preserving local history.
Place; Elizabeth Miskuf-3rd Place; Amelia Keen-
Honorable Mention; and Abigail Starks-Honorable
Mention. Not pictured: Lailyn Young-Honorable Men-
tion.
Lawrence County Historian Marla Jones shined a spotlight brightly on the talented 7th and 8th grade Lawrence County students who submitted exceptional essays, each a tribute to an artifact, event, or individual found in the museum that interested or inspired them.
The event was a testament to the dedication and talent of participating students. During the ceremony,
the six winning students had the opportunity to read their essays with the audience. Their readings revealed a reflection of pride and confidence in their work.
Dr. Deborah Craton awarded all six winning students medals, certificates, and cash prizes. The Phil
Mitchell Excellence In History essay winners for 2024 are as follows:
- 1st Place: Claire Edwards; essay discussing Gus Grissom.
- 2nd Place: Ethan Nguyen; essay discussing Josephus R. King violin.
- 3rd Place: Elizabeth Miskuf; essay discussing John D. Thomasson: First Mayor of Bedford.
Three Honorable Mention:
- Amelia Keen; essay discussing Hale & Company piano.
- Abigail Starks; essay discussing Angel Crowns.
- Lailyn Young; essay discussing 1878 Josie Museum Doll.
Front Row: Barb Mitchell, Kim Mitchell Wray, Judy
Mitchell and Scott Mitchell.
Back Row: Ethan Nguyen, Claire Edwards, Eliza-
beth Miskuf, Amelia Keen, and Abigail Starks.
After the program, essay winners joined the Mitchell family, wife Judy Mitchell, son
Scott Mitchell, daughter-in-law Barb Mitchell, and daughter Kim Mitchell Wray for group photographs.
The program will be available online at http://lawrencecountyhistory.org. The winning essays were
determined by a panel of judges and a scoring matrix.
