McCord-Rogers selected for Hall of Fame

History and the arts are two of Suzette McCord-Rogers’ greatest passions, and in her time as a member of the Jackson County Historical Society, Jackson County Arts and Jackson County Tourism organizations, she’s been looking for a way to combine the two to create an “identity” for the county.

“Look at Marysville, where they have the black squirrels. Look at Wamego, where somebody donated all of those ‘Wizard Of Oz’ movie artifacts — they don’t really have a claim on it, but they took what they were given and created it,” McCord-Rogers said. “Look at Wichita, where they have the ‘Keeper Of The Plains.’ We need to have something like that.”

McCord-Rogers has also been working to promote history and the arts as draws to the county, working with the above organizations on such events as the Jackson County Barn Tour, the Art Walk on Holton’s Town Square and the ongoing mural project that is transforming the outer walls of businesses and buildings into works of art.

That work has led the Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce to include McCord-Rogers in its latest round of Hall of Fame inductions, and she will join Rusty Douglas, Mike Reichle and Dave Snyder in the Chamber’s celebration of their achievements in the Jackson County community this coming February.

As a student of history, McCord-Rogers said she was “still in shock” that, as someone who hasn’t spent her entire life in the county, she would be chosen for the honor.

“I thought, you’ve got to be kidding,” she said. “I figured it would have to be somebody who’s a Jackson County pioneer with a huge family… I haven’t quite grasped it all.”

Still, she says she’s honored to be part of the Chamber Hall of Fame, although while others are recognizing the work she’s done in the name of history and the arts in Jackson County, she notes that she’s out there to do what she’s done to promote the county, not herself.

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