Marvin Allen of Knox is this year’s recipient of the Indiana Historical Society’s Hubert Hawkins History Award. The presentation will be made during the Society’s annual Founders Day Dinner at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis. The Hubert Hawkins History Award is made annually to a local historian for his or her distinguished service and career in local history.
Born in Starke County, Allen graduated as valedictorian of Knox High School in 1964 and went on to further his education at Coyne College in Chicago. After a 34-year career with NCR/AT&T that moved his family from South Bend, Indiana, to Illinois and later to Missouri, Allen decided to take early retirement and move back to his home county. He built a new home on the family farm and began to serve his community.
Allen began to volunteer with the Starke County Historical Society and has served as secretary for that organization since 2004. In 2006, he was appointed Starke County Historian by the IHS and Indiana Historical Bureau. His work over the years has included the scanning of nearly 25,000 historic photographs, maps, phone books and county history books. He has presented dozens of programs on history to groups throughout the state and is considered an authority on the history of Starke County.
