Ashley Olson Receives Mildred Bennett Award

The Nebraska Center of the Book recently honored National Willa Cather Center Executive Director Ashley Olson with the 2025 Mildred Bennett Award!

Created in 1991 to recognize "an individual who has made a significant contribution to the fostering of the literary tradition of Nebraska," the Mildred Bennett Award has paid tribute to an impressive list of Nebraska's literary champions including Matt Mason, Ron Hull, Ted Kooser, and Susan Rosowski, to name a few. 

As Executive Director, Olson's accomplishments are numerous. Under her leadership, our organization has created a new museum and archive in the historic Moon Block building, opened two permanent exhibits, American Bittersweet: the Life and Writing of Willa Cather and Making a Place: A Long History of Red Cloud, brought Littleton Alston's statue of Willa Cather to the National Statuary Hall Collection at the U.S. Capitol, transformed the Potter-Wright building in the heart of downtown Red Cloud into Hotel Garber, and completed a $1 million dollar restoration of the Willa Cather Childhood Home, a National Historic Landmark.

Past Willa Cather Foundation Board of Governors member Dr. Steve Shively, who was in attendance at the Nebraska Center for the Book awards ceremony on November 15th and is a past Mildred Bennett Award recipient himself. "I'm delighted that Ashley has received the 2025 Mildred Bennett Award! Her work has resulted in tremendous growth and impact in so many ways from historic preservation to financial stability to programming. Thanks to her, the impact of the National Willa Cather Center locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally is significant. I was honored to work with Ashley as a member of the board for many years, and I realize how fortunate we are to have her as our leader. Mildred Bennett would be so thrilled that one of Red Cloud's own women is honored with the prize that bears her name," Shively said.

Like Bennett, Olson's commitment to our organization's mission not only inspires board members, staff, and volunteers, but also strengthens our community. She leads with integrity, creativity, and humility. Her commitment to nurturing Cather's legacy will ripple outward not only within the National Willa Cather Center but across Red Cloud and the state of Nebraska for years to come.