By: Taylor Bowden / Assistant News Director

Every year the Stearns History Museum presents an award to someone who has made a significant contribution to the history and culture of Stearns County.

This year, the recipient of the 2020 Zapp Historian Award is longtime board member of the Stearns History Museum, Annette Atkins.

Atkins has spent most of her life advocating local and state history through her vast expertise, knowledge and experiences.

She has taught history and humanities at St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict for 34 years and spent many years as a public historian turning research into stories.

The museum’s board chair Dorraine Larison said Annette has a real gift of descriptive and tantalizing stories that make the people of Stearns County proud of and interested in visiting our wonderful museum. Larison also said Atkins works tirelessly to engage the citizens of Minnesota in their own state and local history and all it has to offer. Her work boosts the mission of the Stearns History Museum – to connect people through the power of history and culture.

Recently Atkins ended her 14 year service to the Stearns History Museum’s Board of Directors and now is the head of the museum’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee and is a member of the Emeritus and Honorary Councils of the Minnesota Historical Society.