Katie Blount Receives 2025 AASLH Individual Lifetime Achievement Award
NASHVILLE, TN—June 2025—The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) proudly announces that Katie Blount, director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH), is the recipient of an Individual Lifetime Achievement Award for her work to preserve the stories of Mississippi’s communities. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards, now in its 80th year, is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history.
Blount has been MDAH director since 2011. Under her leadership, the agency has established the nationally-recognized Two Mississippi Museums—Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, strengthened relations with Tribal Partners through repatriation and broken ground on the Vicksburg Civil War Visitor Center. Blount was recognized for her commitment to inclusive storytelling, which has reshaped programming, interpretation and staffing at the agency.
“Katie Blount has shown the nation what we in Mississippi have always known: that our state’s history is essential to understanding the history of the United States,” said Spence Flatgard, the president of the MDAH Board of Trustees. “Through her steady leadership and commitment to telling the full story of Mississippi’s compelling history, she has elevated the work of MDAH and brought national attention to Mississippi’s role in shaping the American experience. The Board of Trustees is proud to see her vision and dedication recognized with this well-deserved honor.”
This year, AASLH confers 54 national awards honoring people, projects, exhibits, and publications. The winners represent the best in the field and provide leadership for the future of state and local history.
“I’m honored to receive this award from AASLH and grateful to the incredible team at MDAH and our many partners across the state,” Blount said. “Mississippi’s history is complex and powerful—it’s essential to understanding who we are as a nation. I’m proud of the work we’ve done to make that history more accessible, inclusive, and meaningful for all Mississippians and for audiences around the country.”
The AASLH awards program was initiated in 1945 to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout the United States. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards not only honor significant achievement in the field of state and local history, but also bring public recognition of the opportunities for small and large organizations, institutions, and programs to make contributions in this arena. For more information about the Leadership in History Awards, contact AASLH at 615-320-3203 or go to www.aaslh.org.