When the Bell Tower of Fame Award began, “There were those in our community who thought we would surely run out of people to honor. Surprise! Thanks to the efforts of many nominators, the honorees’ accomplishments have spanned the globe,” says Carole Custer, past chair of the Bell Tower Festival and chair of the selection committee. The award has honored residents from the east and west coasts, from the south to the north, and also from across Greene County.
The 2022 Bell Tower of Fame Award recipient will be chosen from nominations previously submitted and any new nominations submitted by Friday, February 18. The person will join 50+ past winners who, following the guidelines “at some time in their lives, have lived in Greene County and whose personal or professional accomplishments internationally, nationally or statewide bring great pride to Greene County.”
The award started in 1981. County. Greene County native sons, George Gallup of Jefferson, creator of the internationally respected Gallup Poll, and Loren Shriver of Paton, a U.S. astronaut, were the first two honorees.
The creator of the National Federation of Wildlife’s Ranger Rick magazine, a member of New York City’s Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, a national leader in ornithology research, the creator of the Iowa Hall of Pride, the president of Medicap Pharmacies, and the CEO of the Iowa Lottery are just a few honorees who have called Greene County home.
Nominations can be submitted anytime, but for consideration this year, the deadline is 4 p.m. Friday, February 18, at the Welcome Center, 201 E. Lincoln Way, Jefferson, Iowa 50129. They are required to be submitted on the form that is available at the Welcome Center or online at the Jefferson Matters: A Main Street and Chamber Community website using this link: https://jeffersonmatt.wpengine.com/bell-tower-of-fame-award-nomination-form/
Past nominations are kept on file and are reviewed by the selection committee, which consists of past Bell Tower of Festival chairs. “We encourage nominators to update their nominee’s form if new activities or awards are received that the committee needs to know when reviewing nominations each year,” Custer added.