Ruth Van Stee, presently the secretary of the GGRWHC, is the recipient of this year's Baxter Award, presented at the Grand Rapids Historical Society's spring banquet on May 12.  The award honors persons who have made significant contributions to the preservation and interpretation of Grand River Valley history. Created by the GRHS in 1980, it is named in honor of Albert Baxter, author of the 1891 History of the City of Grand Rapids, Michigan.  

resources there, she "discovered" a small but culturally rich African American community in early Grand Rapids history and women who were engaged with social justice issues and the economy in the late 19th century and the early 20th century. Little was included about either group in earlier comprehensive histories of Grand Rapids.

Over the years Van Stee has conducted numerous presentations on Grand Rapids Public Library's resources, particularly at Grand Valley State University's Great Lakes History Conference, introducing an African American newspaper clippings collection and "war in the archives." She has presented on diverse topics to civic groups, college classes, regional conferences, and historical societies. Among them: "A Fresh Look at the Work of Women and Their Contributions to the Economy of Grand Rapids, 1890-1930," " African Americans in Early Grand Rapids History to 1930," "A Suffragist Spring: Taking Over the Grand Rapids Press in 1914,"  and "Spirited Women: Women in Temperance and Prohibition in Grand Rapids."