By Anna Grace Moore
Photos by Shelby County Reporter Staff
As a young father himself, Tom Walker always took his family on side quests to historical landmarks during their summer vacations. Tom remembers his daughter lamenting, “‘Daddy, we don’t have to go somewhere historical, do we?’” To which he always replied, “‘No, but why wouldn’t we?’”
American history has always felt enchanting to Tom. His desire to enrich future generations with wisdom the past teaches only grew throughout his career.
A native of Albertville, Alabama, Tom first came to Shelby County to attend the University of Montevallo (UM). He earned his Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science with honors before earning his Master of Arts in Political Science at Mississippi State University.
The first real ride of his career Tom says was during a student government association meeting in undergrad, where he met the only rival to history to captivate his heart, Betty Driver. Tom and Betty began dating shortly afterwards and tied the knot in 1976.
They are now looking forward to celebrating 48 years of joyful union together in December 2024.
While in graduate school, Tom worked for Cooperative Extension Service, acting as a government specialist. He worked with local communities and local governments before moving back to Alabama to work as the city clerk and city manager of Northport, Alabama.
Tom says he enjoyed working with the city council and thoroughly appreciated his time in Northport. Tom’s experience led him back to his alma mater, where he assumed the position of assistant to the president at UM, Dr. John Stewart.
“It was at the university [during the ‘80s] that I had the idea of creating the American Village,” Tom says. “There were a lot of people who were very supportive but also somewhat skeptical that it could happen.”
Tom’s idea to create a historical camp based on American history may have started small, but it grew like wildfire, thanks to his unending pursuit to “build a better world.” Not long after conceptualizing American Village, Tom encouraged local legislators to create a temporary joint committee to explore the idea.
In 1993, American Village had its first legislative act, and in 1994, the campus had a second act authorizing the creation of the village. As he met with architect Mike Hamrick, Tom sketched his idea for American Village’s campus on a napkin.
Thanks to T.M. and Ellen Burgin, Tom acquired their family’s generational farm in Montevallo, utilizing the 188-acre site for the construction of the village. In 1995, American Village became chartered, and finally on Nov. 30, 1999, American Village held its grand opening ceremony.
“The people in Shelby County have been overwhelmingly positive,” Tom says. “So many thousands have come to the village on things like the Fourth of July or in school programs. I’ll always be grateful to the leadership of the county as well as to citizens of all walks of life who’ve helped advance the cause.”
Considered a landmark attraction in Alabama, American Village is an educational institution in Montevallo, nationally known for its historical reenactments and programs. Drawing thousands of visitors each year, American Village has served just shy of a million people since its inception.
“We tried to maintain the scenic aspects–to create a place where you can get away from the busyness of everyday life and turn imagination into what our country was like when it was founded,” Tom says. “The purpose was for young people to know America’s story.”
American Village visitors can tour 20 historically-inspired buildings and structures, witness Revolutionary War reenactments, watch fireworks on July Fourth and even dine with patriots such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abigail Adams and more.
Schools from Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Florida have come on field trips to the village, engaging students in programs that immerse them in American history and making them feel as though they, too, are patriots of the past.
Tom served as the first president of American Village from its opening to his retirement in March 2022. In July 2022, American Village announced that Chelsea resident and criminal defense attorney Alan B. Miller would serve as the second-ever president.
Serving as president of American Village, Tom says one of his favorite memories was watching an elementary school field trip “face the Red Coats” during a demonstration. A tiny fifth grader had been watching a Red Coat pester her fellow patriots, and she only grew more and more “passionate.”
Just moments later, the student charged the Red Coat with a lion’s heart–10 times bigger than her actual size–and kicked the soldier in the shin, standing up for her friends. Although the Red Coat witnessed a mighty blow, he kept on going with the act, acknowledging this courageous, young patriot and her defense of her class.
“It was a great privilege to welcome thousands and thousands of students each year and see their appreciation for how our country came to be and how important it is that each of us do our part as good citizens to keep it,” Tom says.
Although American Village teaches American history in a fun, engaging way, Tom says its underlying purpose is to act as a catalyst for social reform–reminding citizens everywhere of the sacrifices paid to ensure liberty and justice for all.
“From Concord Bridge in 1775 to the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965, those were all times that people stood up for liberty,” Tom says. “Although they were different circumstances, the theme song was the same. I think every generation has political divisions, but we have many things in common as Americans. We should count those blessings and work to make people aware of that great heritage of liberty that we enjoy.”
According to americanvillage.org, in 2017, Tom was appointed to the United States Semiquincentennial Commission, which oversees the nation’s 250th birthday celebration and commemoration of independence that will take place in 2026. In December 2020, Troy University honored Tom with the Honorary Doctor of Laws for his service to the community.
Tom received the American Bar Association’s national award for excellence in K-12, law-related education. His accolades also include the DAR Medal of Honor and the SAR Gold Citizenship Medal, which is the National Societies of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Sons of the American Revolution’s highest national honor. The Women’s Committee of Birmingham even named Tom as a “Birmingham Citizen of the Year.”
While founding American Village will forever be one of Tom’s most proud accomplishments, he says the credit is due to the hundreds of people in Shelby County and beyond who helped manifest his dream into a reality for so many. A true American patriot, Tom Walker will go down in history as one of the greats–a man whose pursuit of community will continually bless thousands of citizens, reminding each one of the sacrifices paid to achieve such liberties for all.
