This prize is offered in alternating years. It will be awarded next in 2014.
This award seeks to perpetuate the legacy and memory of a founder of the public history movement, Dr. Robert Kelley. It honors distinguished and outstanding achievements by individuals, institutions, non-profit or corporate entities for having made significant inroads in making history relevant to individual lives of ordinary people outside of academia.
The Kelley Award consists of a $500 cash award and framed certificate that will be presented at the annual meeting of NCPH. The award recipient will receive a complimentary registration for the awards breakfast at the 2014 NCPH annual meeting in Monterey, California, March 19-22, 2014.
Individuals or organizational entities may be considered for the award.
a) Individuals may be nominated based on their achievements and specific contributions to the public history movement, usually over a sustained period of time.
Evidence of scholarly excellence must be combined with two or more of the following: (1) sustained service to NCPH in an appointed and/or elected capacity; (2) demonstrated innovation in teaching and/or development of institutional training programs; (3) creativity as evidenced through the development of teaching and/or educational outreach materials; (4) a singular achievement (i.e. a motion picture, major exhibit, or a well-recognized book) that significantly contributes to the general public’s understanding and appreciation of history; and/or (5) a distinguished record of creating, administering, or managing an undergraduate or graduate public history program at an institution of learning.
b) Institutions, colleges and university departments of history, non-profit, corporate or other organizational entities may be nominated based on the institution’s achievements and specific contributions in advancing the cause of public history, usually over a sustained period of time.
Evidence of program excellence must be combined with two or more of the following in evaluating the contribution of each nominated institution: (1) innovative excellence in the training of public historians (either at the undergraduate or graduate level) as evidenced by a quality public history curriculum and/or success in placement and accomplishments of graduates in public history related jobs; (2) sustained commitment to the development of scholarly or other educational or teaching materials relating to the field of public history; (3) sponsorship and/or delivery of high quality training courses, conferences, or educational outreach to the public or the public history community; (4) an outstanding record of public outreach programs (i.e. mass media, exhibitory, lecture series) that advance the appreciation of public history; and (5) demonstrated commitment to the value of expanding the public’s knowledge and appreciation of history in the institutional or corporate setting.
Procedures and Submission Requirements
1. Nominations should be submitted in the form of a written narrative not to exceed 1,500 words (typed).
2. Nominations should include pertinent supporting documents, including a copy of the nominee’s resume or curriculum vitae if available, plus a minimum of two and a maximum of five letters of support and a cover sheet.
3. A total of four copies of all submission materials are required. Send a cover sheet and a copy of all materials to each of the Kelley Award Committee members and one to the NCPH execuitve office at: NCPH, 327 Cavanaugh Hall – IUPUI, 425 University Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46202. Clearly mark each submission, “NCPH Kelley Award.” If emailed, nominations must be sent in one complete document (MS Word or a PDF). Please note that materials will not be returned.
Materials must be received (not postmarked) no later than December 1, 2013. Late submissions will not be considered.
Questions? (317) 274-2716; ncph@iupui.edu
| Past Award Winners2012-Lindsey Reed, Managing Editor of The Public Historian2010-Richard Allan Baker, United States Senate Historical Office2008-Alan S. Newell, Historical Research Associates, Inc.2006-Dwight T. Pitcaithley, National Park Service2004-The Government and Citizens of the Tr’ondek Hwech’in, First Native Peoples of the Klondike2002-The University of South Carolina Public History Program2001-Debra Bernhardt, Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives at New York University1999-Otis L.Graham Jr., University of North Carolina, Wilmington1998-The American Social History Project
First time presented in 1997 to Page Putnam Miller, Coordinating Committee for the Promotion of History |
Most Recent Winner Lindsey Reed is widely recognized by public historians as a major contributor to the intellectual vigor and diversity of the field of public history. As the long-time managing editor of The Public Historian, Lindsey has directed every aspect of publication from recruiting through review, revision, author consultation and encouragement, composition, and even in choosing the distinctive images and designs for each issue’s cover. As every author, special editor, reviewer, editorial board member, and editorial staff colleague will attest, Lindsey Reed has managed all of this with vision, grace, and the highest of standards. Her sustained service to the field of public history makes her an ideal recipient for the Robert Kelley Memorial Award. Lindsey Reed earned a Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature and a Master’s degree in English at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Following nine years of teaching in the university’s writing program, Lindsey joined the staff of The Public Historian in 1980 as an assistant editor. She became associate In 1993 Lindsey was offered an administrative post at UCSB, representing a considerable promotion with a significant salary increase, but she chose to remain with the journal. This prompted public history pioneer Robert Kelley to express his appreciation. “The journal is Lindsey Reed,” Kelley wrote in January of 1993. “[Her] intellect,…graciousness, talents as an editor, and all that reflected an aura of being really first class folks that we get from [Lindsey] being our ambassador to the profession … lifts the whole enterprise.” Bob Kelley had known and worked with Lindsey from her very first day on the job, and was well-positioned to conclude, “How lucky we are, how lucky the whole national and international profession of Public History is” to benefit from the talents of Lindsey Reed. |