Illiana Genealogical & Historical Society Foundation Presents Its Preservation Award Banquet Apr 30th

The Illiana Genealogical & Historical Society Foundation, 215 W. North, Danville, IL, is pleased to announce that the 2024 honoree of its fifth annual historical preservation award is Doug Quick. To emphasize its aim to promote and preserve local and family history of the Illiana area as well as to make it more accessible to the public, the Foundation annually recognizes a deserving individual who has made significant contributions to preserve local history.

Doug Quick has been an active participant over the years to preserve Vermilion County and Central Illinois history, primarily in the field of communications – and specifically, the early years of television in Central Illinois. Doug Quick retired as the market’s longest tenured weathercaster on September 30, 2021, having been at the Champaign studios broadcasting weather since 1996. After a 25-year successful career as a radio broadcaster, manager, and sales representative, he began at WICD-TV as promotions director in 1994 and commenced weekend weathercasts in 1995. He later left promotions to become Sunrise’s first weathercaster and co-anchor in 1998, moving to the evening newscasts in 2002. By 2006, he was doing weathercasts for the 5:00, 6:00, and 10:00 p.m. newscasts as well as 9:00 p.m. on Channel 27. He added co-anchoring to his role in 2013. In 2015, he became the exclusive weathercaster and co-anchor for FOX-Champaign News at 5:30 and 9:00 p.m. on WCCU which was broadcast on WBUI/CW23 from Decatur at 9:00 p.m. which he continued until his retirement in 2021. His nearly five-decade career in broadcasting began in 1974 at WTIM/WTIM-FM in his hometown of Taylorville. He worked at several central Illinois radio stations, including Danville’s WDAN and WDNL, over the years until his move to television.

Over Mr. Quick’s many years as a television broadcaster, he became very interested in the history of the early years of television in Central Illinois. After conducting exhaustive research, in 2017 he published the 500+ page Pictures on the Prairie: The First Ten Years of Mid-Illinois Television. He has maintained his Central lllinois On-Line Broadcast Museum at dougquick.com for over 20 years. For his pioneering work in television as well as for his documentation of the medium’s early history, he was awarded the Silver Circle Award from the Midwest Academy of Television Arts and Science in 2013. He also received the Silver Dome Award for Medium Market Best Anchor in 2017 and in 2022, the Russell Withers, Jr., Broadcast Pioneer Award for Central Illinois.

The IGHS Foundation is also honoring the late Senator Scott Bennett. The late Hon. Scott Bennett was the former senator representing the 52nd district from 2015-2022. A graduate of Gibson City—Melvin- Sibley High School, Illinois State University with a degree in history, and the University of Illinois College of Law, during his undergraduate years, he interned in the Clinton White House and later worked for the Democratic National Committee in Washington, DC. After several years in private practice, he served as a prosecutor in McLean and Champaign Counties. Appointed to the senate seat in the 52nd district in 2015, he won election in 2016 and re-election in 2020. In the Senate, he served on the Agriculture, Appropriations for Higher Education, Judiciary, Labor, Re-districting, and Executive Appointments Committees. Widely known for his ability to build a meaningful consensus and to find middle ground, he was an advocate for education and for those without a voice, including children, the elderly, and those with special needs. He was also a member of the Spiros Law Firm at the time of his death. Senator Bennett provided outstanding constituent service and was very visible across the district. Having a strong interest in history, he was very supportive of IGHS and its Foundation, attending its functions as an active participant. He is survived by his wife, Stacy, and their twin children, Sam and Emma.

Mark Denman, IGHS Foundation president, states, “Doug Quick, the deserving recipient of the IGHS’ Fifth Annual 2024 Historical Preservation Award, documented the early history of Central Illinois television, ensuring that it was recorded for future generations.  The Foundation also is honored to recognize the many achievements of our late senator, Scott Bennett, who in just a few years, left a significant impact on our district.  Senator Bennett’s strong advocacy and support for IGHS and its Foundation will not be forgotten.”