Sixty-three recipients from twenty-seven states receive highest honor from AASLH

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) proudly announces the winners of the 71st annual Leadership in History Awards, the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history. This year, AASLH is proud to confer sixty-three national awards honoring people, projects, exhibits, and publications.

“The Leadership in History Awards is AASLH’s highest distinction and the winners represent the best in the field,” said Trina Nelson Thomas, AASLH Awards Chair and Director, Stark Art & History Venue, Stark Foundation. “This year, we are pleased to distinguish each recipient’s commitment and innovation to the interpretation of history, as well as their leadership for the future of state and local history.”

The Leadership in History Awards Program was initiated in 1945 to build standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout America. Each nomination is peer-reviewed by AASLH’s state captains. Final awards are decided by the Awards Committee, comprised of AASLH’s fourteen regional representatives and the National Awards Chair.

The awards include:

  • The Award of Merit which is presented for excellence in history programs, projects, and people when compared with similar activities nationwide;
  • The Albert B. Corey Award is named in honor of a founder and former president of AASLH, and recognizes primarily volunteer-operated historical organizations that best display the qualities of vigor, scholarship, and imagination in their work. This year’s winner is the Glencoe Historical Society in Glencoe, IL.
  • The HIP (History in Progress) Awardis given at the discretion of the awards committee to 5% or less of the total winners of the Award of Merit. It is for a project that is highly inspirational, exhibits exceptional scholarship, and/or is exceedingly entrepreneurial in terms of funding, partnerships, or collaborations, creative problem solving, or unusual project design and inclusiveness. The 2016 recipients are Windsor Historical Society, Minnesota Historical Society, and the Nashville Public Library.
  • The Michael Kammen Award, named in honor of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Cornell University’s Newton C. Farr Professor of American History and Culture Emeritus. It is presented to a history institution with an annual budget under $250,000 that has shown outstanding effort. The winner of this award will be announced at the Awards Banquet.

Presentation of the awards will be made at a special banquet during the 2016 AASLH Annual Meeting in Detroit, Michigan, on Friday, September 16. The banquet is supported by a generous contribution from the HISTORY™.

A full listing of recipients can be found at: about.aaslh.org/awards. For more information, contact Bethany Hawkins at [email protected].

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About the American Association for State and Local History:
Since 1940, AASLH has provided leadership and support for its members who preserve and interpret state and local history to make the past more meaningful. AASLH is a not-for-profit professional organization of individuals and institutions working to preserve and promote history. From its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, AASLH works to advance knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of local history in America. AASLH publishes books, technical publications, a quarterly magazine, a monthly newsletter, and maintains numerous affinity groups and committees serving a broad range of constituents across the historical community. The association also sponsors regional and national training workshops and an annual meeting. For more information, visit aaslh.org.