NCPH Robert Kelley Memorial Award

This $500 award honors distinguished achievements by individuals, institutions, or nonprofit or corporate entities for making history relevant to individual lives of ordinary people outside of academia.

This is a bienneial award. The Kelley Award will next be given in 2026.

2024 Winner

Indiana University Indianapolis Public History Program

Featuring the contributions of Philip V. Scarpino and Elizabeth Brand Monroe

The Robert Kelley Memorial Award committee is pleased to select the Indiana University Indianapolis (formerly IUPUI) Public History program, Philip V. Scarpino, and Elizabeth Brand Monroe as recipients for the 2024 Robert Kelley Award.

The IUI Public History Program under the leadership of Scarpino and Monroe developed into one of the nation’s leading public history education programs, offering sound, practical instruction, a wide variety of relevant internships, and excellent career placement.

The Robert Kelley Memorial Award is awarded to organizational entities who provide the following:

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
Sustained commitment to the development of scholarly or other educational or teaching materials relating to the field of public history
Sponsorship and/or delivery of high quality training courses, conferences, or educational outreach to the public or the public history community
An outstanding record of public outreach programs (i.e. mass media, exhibitory, lecture series) that advance the appreciation of public history
Demonstrated commitment to the value of expanding the public’s knowledge and appreciation of history in the institutional or corporate setting

Amy Wilson, a graduate of the program, writes Philip Scarpino “was also instrumental in making IUPUI the seat of the National Council on Public History for the last 33 years. Phil’s efforts to build strong relationships with a myriad of public history organizations and agencies in Indianapolis to provide IUPUI public history graduate students with paid internships have provided generations of students with real-world public history practice in both the public and private sectors. By the early 1990s, IUPUI’s program had become a national model.”

Wilson adds that as Executive Director of NCPH, Elizabeth Brand Monroe “brought further expertise to the IUPUI public history program and the local community, working with historic preservationists to document the history of Indianapolis architecture. Liz served as director of the IUPUI Public History Program from 1995 to 2006, continuing to build the program’s excellence and overseeing the graduate students’ experiences. In 2003 she received an Indiana University-wide faculty award for civic engagement.”

Graduates of the IUI public history program are employed in museums, universities, archives, and government agencies from coast to coast and from Canada to Texas. The teachings and leadership of Scarpino and Monroe continue to impact the world of public history exponentially through the work of the many successful graduates of the program.

After careful consideration the committee feels the IUI program, Philip V. Scarpino, and Elizabeth Brand Monroe have continually met all five criteria and are highly deserving of this award.

2024 Submission Guidelines

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 annual meeting (NCPH 2024 will be in Salt Lake City, Utah).

Eligibility

Individuals or organizational entities may be considered for the award.

Award Criteria

Individuals

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:

Sustained service to NCPH in an appointed and/or elected capacity
Demonstrated innovation in teaching and/or development of institutional training programs
Creativity as evidenced through the development of teaching and/or educational outreach materials
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
A distinguished record of creating, administering, or managing an undergraduate or graduate public history program at an institution of learning

Organizational Entities

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:

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
Sustained commitment to the development of scholarly or other educational or teaching materials relating to the field of public history
Sponsorship and/or delivery of high quality training courses, conferences, or educational outreach to the public or the public history community
An outstanding record of public outreach programs (i.e. mass media, exhibitory, lecture series) that advance the appreciation of public history
Demonstrated commitment to the value of expanding the public’s knowledge and appreciation of history in the institutional or corporate setting

Submission Process

Nominations should be submitted in the form of a written narrative not to exceed 1,500 words (typed).
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.
Fill out the form with the nominee’s information. (Nominations are closed for 2024; a link will be provided when nominations open for 2026.)
The form includes a file upload for the CV or resume and a file upload for supplemental material (the narrative and letters of support); all supplemental materials must be uploaded in one Word document or PDF. The completed form will be sent to each of the Robert Kelley Award Committee members and to the NCPH executive office.

Materials must be received (not postmarked) no later than November 1, 2023. Late submissions will not be considered.

Questions? (317) 274-2716; ncph@iu.edu