Beloit Historical Society

Call Directions Website Contact the museum

Beloit Historical Society We are dedicated to preserving, restoring, interpreting, and communicating Beloit's history!

The Beloit Historical Society is the oldest historical society in Rock County, Wisconsin. Headquartered in the Lincoln Center, a former school on the west side of Beloit, the society's mission is to connect people with Beloit’s history to inspire an inclusive, informed, and engaged community. Programs and events of community interest are held throughout the year. Our schedule of events is available at the Lincoln Center or on our webpage under the "UPCOMING EVENTS" link.

BELOIT HISTORICAL SOCIETY 2026HALL  OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONYBeloit Historical Society Hall of Fame inducteesFive peopl...
10/23/2026

BELOIT HISTORICAL SOCIETY 2026
HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY

Beloit Historical Society Hall of Fame inductees
Five people were inducted into the Beloit Historical Society Hall of Fame on Sunday. Inductees were, from left, Dorothy Harrell, Joe Lomax, Major General (retired) Marcia Anderson, accepting on behalf of Jerry Kenney was his nephew Todd Kenney, and Angela Moore.
Photo credit: Clint Wolf/Beloit Daily News

We are pleased to announce that the video of the induction ceremony, which took place on October 18, 2026, is now available for viewing. This has been made possible through the generous contributions of McLane Lomax.

Video YouTube link: https://youtu.be/cB2BNn7OMOQ?feature=shared

Five people will be inducted into the 𝑩𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒊𝒕 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑺𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒚 𝑯𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒆 during a ceremony set for 1 p.m., Sunday, O...
10/16/2026

Five people will be inducted into the 𝑩𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒊𝒕 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑺𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒚 𝑯𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒆 during a ceremony set for 1 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 18 at the Beloit Historical Society, 845 Hackett St.

This year’s inductees include Jerry Kenney, Dorothy Harrell, Angela Moore, Marcia Anderson and Joe Lomax.

𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐲
Jerry Kenney’s love of baseball began on the sandlots of Beloit, where he grew up after his family moved there in 1946. At Beloit Memorial High School, he became an outstanding three-sport athlete, earning varsity letters in football, basketball, and baseball before graduating in 1963.

Kenney helped lead his teams to conference championships in all three sports, including the 1962 Big Eight football co-championship, Big Eight baseball titles in 1961 and 1962, and Big Eight basketball co-championships in 1962 and 1963. His 1962 baseball team reached the state tournament semifinals, and the 1963 basketball team finished as the state consolation runner-up. He also played on three American Legion state tournament teams and was part of Coach Harry Pohlman’s 1961 state championship team.

After high school, Kenney briefly attended college in Pella, Iowa, before signing with the New York Yankees organization. He worked his way through the minor leagues and made his Major League debut with the Yankees on Sept. 5, 1967. In his first big-league at-bat, he hit an inside-the-park home run against the California Angels—a remarkable beginning to a Major League career that included time with the Yankees and Cleveland Indians. Known for his outstanding defense, Kenny played his final Major League game in 1973.

After his playing days, Kenney returned to Beloit in 1987 and soon began sharing his knowledge of the game with local players. He coached a C**t League team to a championship and later managed the American Legion team, guiding it to a 57–25 record over three seasons. He brought to coaching the lessons he had learned from Beloit mentors, his years in professional baseball, and some of the game’s greats. To his players, he was simply their coach—an example of his humility and generosity toward his community.

In June 2024, a portion of Shirland Avenue beside ABC Supply Stadium was renamed Jerry Kenney Avenue in recognition of his accomplishments and lasting connection to Beloit. In September 2026, the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association added him to its Hall of Fame.

From Beloit Memorial’s championship teams to the Major Leagues and back home again, Jerry Kenney has built a remarkable legacy in athletics and service to his community.

Five people will be inducted into the 𝑩𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒊𝒕 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑺𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒚 𝑯𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒆 during a ceremony at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct....
10/15/2026

Five people will be inducted into the 𝑩𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒊𝒕 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑺𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒚 𝑯𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒆 during a ceremony at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18, at the Beloit Historical Society, 845 Hackett St.

This year’s inductees include Jerry Kenney, Dorothy Harrell, Angela Moore, Marcia Anderson and Joe Lomax.

𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐞
Born “colored,” raised “Negro,” growing up Black, and becoming African American, Angela Moore has witnessed and helped shape generations of change. Born in 1954, the year the U.S. Supreme Court declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, she attended an integrated school 14 years later, as the nation moved— “with all deliberate speed”—toward desegregation. Her life and work reflect a steadfast commitment to opportunity, equity, and community.

Her impact reaches from her home state of Virginia, where she advocated for Martin Luther King Jr. Day to become a federal holiday, to Beloit and Rock County, which she has long called home. The City of Beloit recognized her contributions during Women’s History Month.

From 1993 to 2009, Moore served as Executive Director and CEO of Girl Scouts Badger Council, supporting thousands of girls and adults across the Stateline Area. She became the first African American in the country to pass the national CEO Certification. Recognizing the need to better serve African American and Hispanic girls, she established The Circle of Diversity and worked to build a more diverse board, staff, and volunteer community.

Moore also helped lead a capital campaign that raised $1.2 million to build the Program Center at Big Hill Park. Still in use today as an Environmental Center, the building stands as a lasting contribution to the region. Under her leadership, the council achieved one of the nation’s highest service rates, with one in four girls participating. She was among the few leaders in the country to serve as director of both a Girl Scout council and a YWCA.

As Executive Director of YWCA Rock County from 2014 to 2021, Moore brought the annual Racial Justice Conference and Stand Against Racism to the community. The conference welcomed thousands of participants and reached its tenth year; Stand Against Racism expanded to sites in Beloit and Janesville. She partnered with the Elite Ladies to bring Juneteenth celebrations back to Beloit and created “You, Me and Our Colorful Community” to help children learn about diversity. She also served as one of ten advisors to the national CEO of the YWCA.

Her community service has included the NAACP; two terms on the City of Beloit Plan Commission; the Beloit and Rock County Health Departments; the Beloit Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; the Beloit Library Board of Trustees and Library Foundation Board; the Diversity Action Team; The Links; the Rock County Evidence-Based Decision-Making Committee; the League of Women Voters; the AALAC Advisory Committee to the Janesville Police Chief; and the Board of Trustees at Emmanuel Baptist Church, which she chaired.

Angela’s honors include the Girl Scouts’ national Thanks Badge and Thanks Badge II, the Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship Award (twice), the Universities of Wisconsin Women of Color Award (twice), the Zonta Tribute to Women Award, and the Martin Luther King Award.

Through decades of leadership, advocacy, and service, Angela Moore has helped make Beloit and Rock County more inclusive and more vibrant. Her work has opened doors for women and girls, strengthened local institutions, and left a legacy worthy of recognition in the Beloit Historical Society Hall of Fame.

Five people will be inducted into the Beloit Historical Society Hall of Fame during a ceremony set for 1 p.m., Sunday, O...
10/14/2026

Five people will be inducted into the Beloit Historical Society Hall of Fame during a ceremony set for 1 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 18 at the Beloit Historical Society, 845 Hackett St.

This year's inductees include Jerry Kenney, Dorothy Harrell, Angela Moore, Marcia Anderson and Joe Lomax.

𝐃𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐥
Dorothy Harrell has spent her life speaking up. In 1965, while still a teenager, she wrote her first letter to the editor, challenging a system in which Black and White children attended school together all week, but only White children were welcome at a downtown teen dance club. The newspaper never published her letter. Rather than back down, Harrell took that silence as proof that staying quiet changes nothing. She still draws inspiration from Audre Lorde’s words: “Your silence will not protect you.”

Born and raised in Beloit, Harrell built a career spanning education and law. She graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in psychology, earned a master’s degree in urban education from Antioch College, and received a Montessori certificate. She began her career as a teacher in the Beloit School District and later served on the executive staff of the National Education Association in Washington, D.C. In 1990, she earned her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School and went on to practice law for many years. Although she has since stepped away from practicing, her legal training continues to shape how she understands institutions and works to make them fairer.

When she returned to Beloit, she put her energy into the issues that mattered most to her. She served on a Rock County committee studying best practices in the criminal justice system, bringing the concerns of Black residents to the table and helping ensure the community saw itself represented. She raised awareness of the disproportionate incarceration of people of color, helped young people navigate a court system their families might otherwise struggle to understand, and joined the call for cultural-competency training in the district attorney’s office.

Education has always been close to her heart. She partnered with the Beloit and Janesville school districts to address the achievement gap between White and Black students and worked to bring Black Beloit graduates back home to teach. For years, she has helped run a Saturday tutoring program at New Zion Baptist Church—her spiritual home for more than 60 years and the place where her parents first taught her that service is a way of life.

As president of the Beloit Branch of the NAACP, Harrell restored trust and energy to an organization that had lost both, refocusing its work on education, workforce development, and criminal justice reform. Today, she also serves as president of the Beloit Police and Fire Commission. She is an active member of several community organizations, including Justice Overcoming Borders (JOB), the Diversity Action Team, and the League of Women Voters.

Her service has been recognized throughout the community. In 2016, the Beloit Zonta Club honored her in its Tribute to Women. She has also received the YWCA Women of Distinction Award and the Rock County Democratic Party’s Lifetime Volunteer Award.

Those who know her describe her as a transformational leader: admired and trusted, and always ready to work on behalf of others—even long after the rest of us have gone to sleep.

She is the devoted wife of Craig F. Davis.

Her Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be on Sunday, Oct 18th
10/13/2026

Her Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be on Sunday, Oct 18th

Beloit trailblazer Joseph “Joe” Lomax, titled “Memories of the First Black Police Officer in Beloit,” written by Joe him...
10/12/2026

Beloit trailblazer Joseph “Joe” Lomax, titled “Memories of the First Black Police Officer in Beloit,” written by Joe himself.

𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐢𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝟏:𝟎𝟎𝐩𝐦 at the ...
10/10/2026

𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐢𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝟏:𝟎𝟎𝐩𝐦 at the Beloit Historical Society, 845 Hackett St., Beloit. If attending, please RSVP by Oct. 15, 2026.

𝐀 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 — In 1938, a “hall” was established “for the purpose of perpetuating the memories of men and women, who in life, gave generously of their time, talents and means to the building of our city.” Inductions halted during WWII and didn't resume until 1966 as part of Beloit’s 130th anniversary celebration. To be inducted into the Beloit Hall of Fame, “…individuals whose efforts and vision for a better community distinguished themselves during their lifetime by making a significant contribution to the greater good of our Beloit area and its citizens, this Nation, and mankind, or otherwise brought fame to our community irrespective of their residence at the time of death.” The Hall now numbers 200 notable men and women and is housed in the Lincoln Center.

https://beloithistory.org/hall-of-fame/

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫'𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐢𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐬:

Marcia Anderson
Dorothy Harrell
Gerald "Jerry" Kenney
Joe Lomax
Angela Moore

09/09/2026
Beloit Heritage Days is returning for a city-wide celebration from September 11-13, 2026! Grab an event passport to expl...
09/04/2026

Beloit Heritage Days is returning for a city-wide celebration from September 11-13, 2026! Grab an event passport to explore historic sites, walking tours, a quilt show, and high tea across various local organizations.

The Beloit Historical Society at 845 Hackett St. is hosting free admission from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Friday through Sunday. Stop by to discover the "Shared Legacies" exhibit, explore behind-the-scenes collection storage, and tour the Daisy Chapin one-room schoolhouse.

You can pick up your passport at the Historical Society (Tuesdays–Thursdays) or at the Downtown Beloit Farmer’s Market on Saturday, Sept. 12. Get stamps at 4 different events to score a FREE Turtle Sundae courtesy of Culver’s of Beloit!

Head to beloitheritagedays.com and beloithistory.org for more details.

𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬: Today is the BHS's America 250 Birthday Celebration. Come join us from Noon until 4 pm. This FREE event (...
07/11/2026

𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬:

Today is the BHS's America 250 Birthday Celebration. Come join us from Noon until 4 pm.

This FREE event (donations happily accepted) will have cupcakes, ice cream, old-fashioned games, and entertainment. Also explore the ways residents of Beloit celebrate in our exhibit "A City Celebrates."

Saturday, the Beloit Historical Society will host a birthday party for America's 250th birthday.

Address

845 Hackett Street
Beloit, WI
53511

Opening Hours

Tuesday 12pm - 4pm
Wednesday 12pm - 4pm
Thursday 12pm - 4pm

Telephone

(608) 365-7835

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Beloit Historical Society posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Beloit Historical Society:

Shortcuts

Share