Huntington County Honors announces 2023 class

As Huntington celebrates its 175th anniversary this year, Huntington County Honors is recognizing some of the area’s pioneers among its 2023 class of honorees.

Created in 2014, Huntington County Honors brings to light the stories of achievement, work and service of those with ties to the community who have made a lasting impact on Huntington County. They are recognized in one of five categories — athletics and recreation, business and professional, community and public service, humanities and cultural, and historical. The inaugural class of Huntington County Honors was inducted in 2016.

“We continue to be humbled by the stories of these tremendous individuals and what they have added to Huntington’s rich history and the contributions they have made to the betterment of life for the community,” said Paul Siegfried, a member of the Huntington County Honors board of directors. “Their achievements serve as a source of inspiration and reflection for all of us.”

This year’s public recognition ceremony will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, October 21, at the Huntington North High School Auditorium. Those attending should enter at Door 28.

In addition to Huntington’s founders, the newest class to be inducted into Huntington County Honors will include Indiana Supreme Court Justice Christopher M. Goff and Huntington basketball and business icon Mike Weaver. Two community leaders, Barbara Hancher and Dr. John Regan, are in this year’s class, as is Elmer Rahn, who directed the Erie Band for 50 years. The family of Dr. Paul and Barbara Fetters is being recognized for service to Huntington University and to the community.

In the athletics category, the honorees are basketball standout Art Musselman, football legend Rex Grossman, along with John Harrell, a sports journalist and creator of a groundbreaking sports website.

Huntington County Honors will also present a new award this year with the announcement of the Dr. John David Carnes Humanitarian Service Award to honor the legacy of one of the organization’s founding members, who died in March 2023.

The first recipient of the new award is Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters, who, for more than a century, have been providing service to marginalized populations and those living in poverty.

“Dr. Carnes was compassionate in his profession and in his life, and he had a great love for his native Huntington, its people and its history. He had a heart for service, and as an organization we wanted to honor what he meant to this community,” said Siegfried.

A display featuring the 2023 class of Huntington County Honors will be on view in Huntington City-Township Public Library beginning in January. The Huntington County Historical Museum houses a permanent exhibit featuring all previous honorees. Information on all the inductees is also available on the Huntington County Honors website at huntingtoncountyhonors.org.