El Paso County Historical Society Honors Four El Pasoans with Prestigious Award

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El Paso—November 17, 2020—Four outstanding individuals have been selected for the El Paso County Historical Society’s 60th Annual Hall of Honor. This year’s honorees are Rick Francis, Maude Craig Sampson Williams, William J. Hooten, and Janice Woods Windle.

Rick Francis is the Chairman and CEO of WestStar Bank and well known for his civic and charitable activities.  Maude Craig Sampson Williams (1880-1958) was a suffragist, teacher, civil rights leader, and community activist. William J. Hooten (1900-1991) was the editor of the El Paso Times from 1940 until he retired in 1970. Janice Woods Windle is well-known for her accomplishments as an author and her decades of work with the El Paso Community Foundation.

Beginning in 1961, the El Paso County Historical Society (EPCHS) has annually honored El Pasoans of outstanding character whose achievements have brought integrity and recognition to the community. Past honorees include James Wiley Magoffin, Abraham Chavez, Gertrude Goodman, Rosa Guerrero, Tom Lea, C. F. Jordan, Hana Farah, Paul Foster, and Dr. Diana Natalicio.

The 2020 Hall of Honor celebration will look a little different this year. “COVID-19 has forced us to postpone our annual banquet until 2021. However, we felt it necessary to honor these worthy El Pasoans and celebrate their achievements,” says Brad Cartwright, EPCHS Immediate Past President and 2020 Hall of Honor Selection Committee Chair. This year’s inductees will be honored in person at next year’s banquet.  In the next several weeks, a website dedicated to the honorees will go live, showcasing their lives and accomplishments. They will also be commemorated in other EPCHS digital and print platforms.

Donations can also be made to EPCHS in the name of one of the honorees or a past honoree. Please visit https://www.elpasohistory.com/the-society/hall-of-honor/ to see the list of past honorees and www.elpasohistory.com/donate to donate. “Your donations help us celebrate the momentous achievements of our fellow El Pasoans and allow us to preserve and share our archive of over 25,000 historical artifacts. They also help us restore and maintain the historic 108-year-old Burges House in Sunset Heights.” Please email EPCHS at epchs@elpasohistory.com for more information.

Since 1954 the El Paso County Historical Society has been a driving force in the historic scene of El Paso. EPCHS strives to foster research into the history of the El Paso area; acquire and make available to the public historic materials; publish and encourage historical writing pertaining to the area; and to develop public consciousness of our rich heritage.