KIRKSVILLE AUTHOR RECOGNIZED WITH 2005 GOVERNOR’S HUMANITIES AWARD FOR PUBLICATIONS

Georgia Warner Walter has been selected to receive a 2005 Governor’s Humanities Book Award, conferred by the Missouri Humanities Council. This award recognizes an individual or group whose publication has increased our understanding and appreciation of Missouri’s history and culture, regardless of the publishers or author’s place of residence.

Georgia Walter served as director of the A. T. Still Memorial Library, at the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, from 1969 until 1986. She spent the next six years writing her second book, The First School of Osteopathic Medicine, which was published for the Centennial Year of the College in 1992. This is the definitive history of the distinctly American form of medicine, founded in Missouri in 1892, by A. T. Still, MD, DO. Walter’s other titles include: Women and Osteopathic Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine Past and Present, and The First D.O.: Dr. Andrew Taylor Still.

Missourians can be proud of the legacy this profession gives to the nation and the world. Today there are 20 medical schools in the U.S. (two in MO) based on the teachings of Dr. A. T. Still, and many more schools internationally. Walter’s detailed research and writing has preserved the rich history of the people involved in this new form of medicine during Missouri’s early years.

A recipient of the regional Daughters of the American Revolution “Women in History” Award, Walter donates royalties from sales of all four books to the Still National Osteopathic Museum.

Since 1971, the Missouri Humanities Council has provided thousands of programs to help Missourians enjoy a rich cultural life and develop community citizenship. Our mission is to enable families and communities to broaden their appreciation of history, literature, and the ideas that shape our democracy. Our programs include: READ from the START, family reading initiative; Chautauqua, community celebration of history: Charettes, consulting for local museums & cultural institutions; Museum on Main Street rural initiative of the Smithsonian Institution; as well as Grants and Initiatives to fund locally generated programs.

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, www.mohumanities.org.

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