Brent Trout, Manager – History & Genealogy Department, St. Louis County Library, named winner of the 2026 HS Genealogy/History Achievement Award
Brent Trout, manager of the History & Genealogy Department at St. Louis County Library, is the recipient of the History Section Genealogy-History Achievement Award in recognition of his leadership in transforming traditional genealogy and local history services into a major public documentation initiative following the expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to the St. Louis area in 2025.
As manager of a 15-person department, Trout led staff through a rapid pivot from customary genealogy and historical reference work to helping residents document years of residency needed to pursue federal compensation related to radiation exposure. Recognizing that many claimants had little or no experience with genealogy, archives, or historical research, Trout directed efforts to make the process more accessible, practical, and manageable for the public.
Under Trout’s leadership, the History & Genealogy Department identified, digitized, and hosted records needed to help establish residency in affected communities. Working with FamilySearch, Trout and his team helped make those materials available through the library’s Recollect platform, creating greater public access to records that could directly support RECA claims. Trout also worked alongside St. Louis County Library administration to develop an online RECA Residency Lookup Form, increasing access to documentation assistance for individuals both within the St. Louis region and beyond.
In addition, Trout worked with library administration and the U.S. Department of Justice to help develop a managed and timely approach to claimant support. This included certification procedures that allowed documentation provided by St. Louis County Library to be accepted by the DOJ, as well as the creation of tutorials, staff training, and workflows that expanded the library’s ability to assist claimants across the system. Trout also worked with St. Louis County officials and SLCL administration to support information sessions across the library district, helping residents understand the program and how the library could assist them in navigating the documentation process.
As of this writing, the department has assisted more than 6,000 individuals with residency documentation, provided referrals to appropriate organizations for additional support, and continues to advise patrons on the strongest available paths for pursuing successful claims. As of April 2026, more than $77 million has been distributed to impacted individuals in the St. Louis area through the program.
The strength of this work was rooted in the broader contributions of the History & Genealogy Department itself. In addition to its RECA efforts, the department publishes PastPorts monthly, maintains a collection of more than 120,000 print volumes covering 32 U.S. states as well as European, Mexican, and Canadian research, and provides extensive public service through research assistance and free lookups. Each year, the department serves more than 60,000 visitors, handles more than 51,000 reference transactions, and fulfills 12,249 lookup requests through its free service. It also supports more than 2,800 individuals in the Memory Lab as they preserve personal materials and family history, while its digital archive assisted more than 35,000 people in 2025.
Beyond the RECA initiative, Trout has brought a museum and preservation background to St. Louis County Library and has helped advance preservation-focused public services, including the development of the Memory Lab, where patrons can digitize personal materials, preserve family history, and strengthen their connection to the past. His broader professional work includes presentations at the international, state, and regional levels, publications in local and public history, and recognition such as Library Journal’s Mover and Shaker distinction.
Selected Professional Background
Brent Trout is manager of the History & Genealogy Department at St. Louis County Library, where he leads a 15-person team. His professional recognition includes Library Journal’s Mover and Shaker distinction, the Missouri Library Association’s 2025 Excellence in Genealogy and Local History Award for the department, the Missouri State Genealogical Association Certificate of Appreciation, a Certificate of Appreciation from the St. Charles Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Rosebud Award from Oklahoma Travel and Tourism.
His presentations have included international, state, and regional audiences, including IFLA, the Missouri Library Association, the St. Louis Regional Library Network, the St. Louis Genealogical Society Conference, the Missouri Council for the Social Studies, and the Franklin County, Ohio, Genealogical and Historical Society. His publications include “A Cut Above the Rest: Robert Jerome Wilkinson,” Maryville, coauthored with Michael J. Steiner, and “Rolling With the Rolls: A Guide to Researching Your Five Civilized Tribes Ancestry.”
Selected Media and Public Engagement
- Featured in “Are You Eligible for RECA?,” West Insider, Season 4, Episode 3, February 2, 2026.
- Featured on St. Louis on the Air (St. Louis Public Radio), March 19, 2026.
- Upcoming feature in What Do I Do With This?, a Nine PBS digital series and local public television program presented by Nine PBS.
Citations List
- Trout, Brent. “A Cut Above the Rest: Robert Jerome Wilkinson.” Missouri History Museum Blog. mohistory.org/blog/wilkinson.
- Steiner, Michael J., and Brent Trout. Maryville. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2013.
- Trout, Brent. “Rolling With the Rolls: A Guide to Researching Your Five Civilized Tribes Ancestry.” PastPorts, November 2023, pp. 2-8. St. Louis County Library.
- “Are You Eligible for RECA?” West Insider, Season 4, Episode 3. February 2, 2026.
- St. Louis on the Air. St. Louis Public Radio. March 19, 2026.
- What Do I Do With This? Nine PBS / PBS.
We inspire people everywhere to connect with their family—across generations.
FamilySearch is dedicated to preserving important family records and making them freely accessible online, subject to local laws. Our work is worldwide and has involved collaborations with more than 10,000 organizations in over 100 countries. FamilySearch seeks to comply with local laws at all times.
Established in 1992, the HS Genealogy / History Achievement Award, sponsored by FamilySearch, presents a citation and $1,500 to a librarian, library or publisher, in recognition of professional achievement in historical or genealogical reference, service, or research librarianship. The recipient shall be selected for exceptional accomplishment in one or more of the following areas: leadership; service; training; reference; or publication of recent, significant print or digital reference works/projects that offer access to genealogical or historical sources. Preference shall be given to members of RUSA.
The selection committee was Chaired by Byron Holdiman.