The Arizona Historical Society is proud to announce the recipients of the prestigious Al Mérito Award for 2024. Established in 1973, this award recognizes individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to preserving and promoting Arizona’s rich history.
The Al Mérito Award, named after a nineteenth-century honor bestowed by the newly independent government of Mexico for meritorious service, translates to “for merit.” It represents the Arizona Historical Society’s highest honor, acknowledging those who serve as role models in the preservation and celebration of Arizona’s history.
Following a thorough review of all nominations, the AHS Board of Directors selects deserving individuals and organizations to receive the Al Mérito Award annually. The contributions of this year’s honorees exemplify the spirit of dedication and excellence that the award represents.
This year’s distinguished award winners include former Holbrook resident Catherine H. Ellis. Ellis’s volunteerism, done in the service of documenting and preserving history, is evidence of her dedication to the historical field. Ellis has assisted the Oracle Historical Society (OHS) for many years by documenting and organizing its collection of artifacts, books, documents, and photographs. She has written articles for the OHS newsletter and contributed her significant knowledge to various OHS exhibits and displays related to this area’s rich history. Catherine is also active with the Oracle Cemetery Association, Inc. (OCAI) as a volunteer and board member. She manages the OCAI grave registry and has placed more than 175 Oracle names on the Find-a-Grave website, linking names, adding photos, and creating memorials across the nation. She actively identifies unmarked graves, locates and marks unidentified gravesites, and obtains updated GPS information. Ellis’ volunteerism and attention to accurate historic detail has been invaluable to OHS, OCAI, our community, and Arizona.
Other awardees include Cave Creek Museum under Executive Director Kathy Dwyer, Pioneers’ Cemetery Association, Raul and Gloria Jean Ramirez of Tucson, and Shannon Rossiter, executive director of the Mohave County Historical Society.
