By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – McLean County’s Museum of History honored their latest class of history makers Thursday night. Organizers said the 6th annual gala was attended 460 people at Illinois State University’s Bone Student Center.

This year’s honorees included a man considered one of the community’s most powerful people in the 1980’s and ’90’s, business leader and downtown preservationist Craig Hart.

“So many of these people have done so many good things for the community and for mankind,” said Hart.

“And, I was more of a business kind of guy, so I’m very flattered to be included in the group,” Hart also said.

Hart remains chairman of the board for the senior health care provider Heritage Enterprises, which converted the north block of the courthouse square into the company’s headquarters. Hart was chief executive officer of Bloomington Federal Savings and Loan, and was board president of Illinois Wesleyan University.

Joining Hart as this year’s history makers are three-term Bloomington Mayor Jesse Smart, educators and civil rights activists Jeanne and Charles Morris, and local Habitat for Humanity co-founder Judy Stone.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]