Recent News
First Mike Colalillo Scholarship Awarded
Veterans’ Memorial Hall is proud to announce that the first Mike Colalillo Scholarship has been awarded. The first recipient is Margaret Nelson a history student at St. Scholastica.
The $500 scholarship is part a new ongoing scholarship program at Veterans’ Memorial Hall, which is a program of St. Louis County Historical Society. This award will be announced in future years at the Veterans Remembrance Dinner, which takes place on the first week of December. As part of the application process students need to write a short paper about local veterans history. Ms. Nelson wrote her paper on Finnish resistance to the Draft during World War I.
The award was presented by Mr. Colalillo to Ms. Nelson on December 15th at Bayshore Health Center. Mr. Colalillo was the last surviving Medal of Honor Recipient in the State of Minnesota. Mr. Colalillo received the Medal of Honor for his actions in World War II. Here is a link to a short biography on Mr. Colalillo - http://www.vets-hall.org/stories/world-war-ii/mike-colalillo.
Veterans’ Memorial Hall was established in 1909 and is a program of the St. Louis County Historical Society. It is the mission of Veterans’ Memorial Hall to preserve and collect veterans’ stories and artifacts and to educate the general public about the history of veterans from northeastern Minnesota.
Contact: Dan Hartman
(218)733-7500
506 West Michigan Street
Duluth, MN 55802
The Society's most sincere sympathy goes out to the family of Mike Colalillo.
Executive Director JoAnne Coombe Re-elected to Historic Union Depot Board
At a meeting today, December 19, 2011, of the PMO (Participating Member Organizations), representatives of these organizations whose home is the Depot (St. Louis County Heritage & Arts Center) again re-elected JoAnne Coombe, Executive Director of the St. Louis County Historical Society, as their representative to the board of the Historic Union Depot Corporation for the year 2012.
The coming year promises many new challenges and opportunities for the Depot and all its tenant organizations: the Duluth Playhouse, Minnesota Ballet, Duluth Art Institute, Duluth Children’s Museum, Lake Superior Railroad Museum, and the Society, as well as its Veterans’ Memorial Hall program, along with the Arrowhead Chorale and Matinee Musicale. Coombe looks forward to another year of service in this important liaison position. She states: "I appreciate the faith that the PMO's have again placed in me and I promise to continue looking out for our mutual interests throughout the coming year."
Executive Director JoAnne Coombe Re-elected to Historic Union Depot Board
At a meeting today, December 19, 2011, of the PMO (Participating Member Organizations), representatives of these organizations whose home is the Depot (St. Louis County Heritage & Arts Center) again re-elected JoAnne Coombe, Executive Director of the St. Louis County Historical Society, as their representative to the board of the Historic Union Depot Corporation for the year 2012.
The coming year promises many new challenges and opportunities for the Depot and all its tenant organizations: the Duluth Playhouse, Minnesota Ballet, Duluth Art Institute, Duluth Children’s Museum, Lake Superior Railroad Museum, and the Society, as well as its Veterans’ Memorial Hall program, along with the Arrowhead Chorale and Matinee Musicale. Coombe looks forward to another year of service in this important liaison position. She states: "I appreciate the faith that the PMO's have again placed in me and I promise to continue looking out for our mutual interests throughout the coming year."
Historical Society Gives Back
Four of the St. Louis County Historical Society's staff members and one of the Society's volunteers answered phones the evening of December 8, 2011, for WDSE's (local PBS station) Membership Drive. Pictured are Executive Director JoAnne Coombe, Executive Assistant Susan Schwanekamp, Collections Manager Milissa Brooks-Ojibway and Evelyn Gray, Society volunteer. Veterans' Memorial Hall Program Assistant Patra Sevastiades is not pictured, but she also answered pledges calls at the WDSE station.
Veterans' Remembrance Dinner
The Veterans' Remembrance Dinner on December 6, 2011, honored local Desert Shield/Storm veterans. The keynote speaker was past commander of the 477th Medical Company, Dennis Hughes, who oversaw the unit during Desert Shield/Storm.
To view the photo album of the event, go to: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150538233772028.431000.91893442027&type=3.
"Art Unveiled"
Thank you again to everyone who supported this event!
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