Friend of History Award
The deadline has passed. Information on the 2024 award will be available summer 2023.
NOMINATION DEADLINE: October 1, 2022
First given in 2005, the Friend of History Award recognizes an institution or organization, or an individual working primarily outside college or university settings, for outstanding support for historical research, the public presentation of American history, or the work of the OAH. Recipients will be selected by the OAH Executive Committee from nominations that should include a statement of no more than five pages describing the nominee’s distinguished contributions and, if for an individual, a CV of no more than five pages. The nomination packet also may contain up to ten additional pages of supporting materials that document the nominee’s distinguished service or letters that support the nomination. Nominations will remain active for three years. Please indicate “2023 Friend of History Award” in the subject line and send nomination as a PDF by midnight (PST) on October 1, 2022 to friendofhistory@oah.org.
The award will be presented at the 2023 OAH Conference on American History in Los Angeles, CA, March 30–April 2.
OAH Executive Committee Members:
Erika Lee, University of Minnesota, President
Anthea M. Hartig, National Museum of American History, President-Elect
David W. Blight, Yale University, Vice President
Jay S. Goodgold, Independent Investor, Treasurer
Philip J. Deloria, Immediate Past President
Beth English, Executive Director, ex officio
Steve Andrews, Interim Executive Editor/Interim Editor, Journal of American History, ex officio
Past Winners
2022: Made by History
2021: Refusing to Forget
2020: Ulysses S. Grant Association
2019: Natasha Trethewey, Northwestern University
2018: Civil War Trust
2017: Lonnie G. Bunch III, National Museum of African American History and Culture
2016: NASA Johnson Space Center History Office
2015: Colin G. Campbell, Chairman Emeritus, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
2014: Stephen A. Briganti, President and Chief Executive Officer, Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation
2013: The almost 85,000 participants in the U.S. Department of Education’s Teaching American History Program
2012: No award given
2011: Jay S. Goodgold, Independent Investor
2010: The Newberry Library
2009: Brian P. Lamb, Founder and CEO, C-SPAN, host of Booknotes
2008: Ruth J. Simmons, President, Brown University
2007: Senator Robert C. Byrd and Libby O'Connell and The History Channel
2006: Geoffrey C. Ward, Independent Scholar
2005: Sy Sternberg, New York Life Insurance Company and The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
