The Downers Grove Historical Society honored Montrew Dunham as the inaugural Historian of the Year of the year in 2013. Montrew dedicated her life to making a difference in the lives of Downers Grove residents of all ages. A resident of Downers Grove for 60 years, Dunham authored Downers Grove Revisited, along with numerous biographies for young readers about famous Americans, such as Neil Armstrong, Thurgood Marshall, Langston Hughes, Ronald Reagan, Mahalia Jackson, among others.
