The 2025 Dallas History Makers Awards for Excellence will be the 44th 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.
Awards Recipients:
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.
Contact for more information: Ashlee Weidner, Director of Marketing and Development ashlee@dallashistory.org or call 214-421-4500 x 107.
Source: Press release
