FOUNDER

Angela Bates is the organizer and founder of the Nicodemus Historical Society. She has achieved the vision of a community organization that would collect, preserve, and interpret the history of Nicodemus in collections including historic photos, documents, and objects. Since 1988 when she first envisioned the organization, she was handed the preservation baton from her great cousin and former NFL football player Veryl Switzer. In 1996 her efforts to get Nicodemus designated a unit of the National Park Service were finally achieved. After 30 years of hard work, she continues to pursue efforts that contribute to her legacy as an honored steward of her hometown Nicodemus.

President

Ashley Adams, Ph.D. is a Nicodemus descendant and has served as the Nicodemus Historical Society Board Secretary since January 2017.

Assistant Adjunct Professor of Public Policy at Mills College, in Oakland, California.

Board Secretary

Dr. Hosbey is the assistant professor of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley. He is an anthropologist who studies African American culture and heritage.

Treasurer

Kathy Atkisson has been an active member of both the Nicodemus Historical Society and the Nicodemus Emancipation Homecoming Celebration since 2012. Her and her husband also serve on the Kansas Fair Board.

Fundraising Associate

A nationally recognized Grant Strategist, Philanthropy Consultant, and Program Analyst, Jessica brings over 24 years of experience in nonprofit development, government contracting, and strategic planning.

Office Manager

A Nicodemus descendant and retired administrator, with years of experience supporting the Society’s work. Marilyn brings valuable organizational knowledge and deep community roots to her role.

Charlotte Hinger is a multi-award- winning novelist and Kansas historian who focuses on African Americans in the West.

Nicodemus: Post-Reconstruction Politics and Racial Justice in Western Kansas, (University of Oklahoma Press) won second place in the Westerners International Best Book contest. Her article, “The Colored Folks Hold the Key” won the Westerners Coke Wood Award, and her article subtitled “Hatched on Top the Rocky Mountains” won third place. She has written a number of articles for BlackPast.org, the premier website for African American History.

Her novel, The Healer’s Daughter, about an African American woman won a Kansas Notable Book Award, the Will Rogers Silver Medallion and was a finalist for the High Plains Book Award.

 She still calls herself a Kansan although she now lives in Fort Collins.