American Village founder Tom Walker dies at 71

Tom Walker, the founder of American Village in Montevallo, died this week. He was 71.

Walker was the founder of American Village and transitioned into the President Emeritus in 2022 after retiring. The American Village posted a message to social media to announce the news.

“It is with heavy hearts that the Trustees, administration and staff of the American Village share the sad news that our founder and President Emeritus, Mr. Tom Walker, left this life early on the morning of September 25th, 2025… The American Village Board of Trustees, the Lucille Ryals Thompson Chapel Board, Village staff, and friends of the Village mark his passing both with grief and joy as he will be sorely missed while we celebrate his vision and unwavering commitment to our community, to Alabama, and to the nation.”

American Village Citizenship Trust

Founding American Village

Walker first conceived the idea of American Village in the 1980s, wanting to create an American history and civics educational campus to inspire young people + prepare them for the future.

He led efforts to build the 188-acre campus just south of Birmingham, AL in Montevallo, and to design and implement its widely-acclaimed and engaging history and civics programs.

As of May 2025, the American Village says it has served over 800,000 students from across the Southeast since its opening. It still welcomes thousands of public visitors each year.

Tom Walker

Walker earned his B.A. with Honors in History and Political Science at the University of Montevallo and his M.A. in Political Science at Mississippi State University.

He spent time as the City Manager of Northport and formerly served as Special Assistant to the President at the University of Montevallo. Walker was also the former Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the University of Montevallo and was the founding chair of the Alabama Higher Education Partnership.

In 2017, Walker was one of just 16 citizens appointed by Congressional leaders to the United States Semiquincentennial Commission. The Commission was made responsible for leading the Nation’s 250th birthday celebration and commemoration of American Independence in 2026. He was unanimously elected as Vice Chairman of the national commission at its first meeting in Philadelphia.

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