Created in 1959, this prize encourages and rewards writing of superior excellence and usefulness in the field of archival history, theory, or practice.
The author(s) of a monograph, finding aid, or documentary publication published in North America during the previous calendar year. Periodicals are not eligible.
A completed nomination form and the required number of copies of the publication.
The Society of American Archivists Foundation, in honor of Waldo Gifford Leland, who authored the landmark Guide to the Archives of the Government of the United States in Washington (1904); was active in the organization of the Conference of Archivists in 1909; played a central role in the establishment of the U.S. National Archives; and served two terms as SAA President during the 1940s.
A certificate and cash prize consisting of the income of the prize fund for that year.
1959
The Leland Award Subcommittee of the SAA Awards Committee consists of three members of the Society of American Archivists and one of the co-chairs of the Awards Committee (ex officio). One member of the subcommittee shall be appointed each year by the SAA President-elect for a term of three years. The senior member of the subcommittee in years of service shall serve as its chair.
All nominations shall be submitted to SAA by February 28 of each year. Download the nomination form as a PDF or RTF. Send 5 copies of the completed form and 3 copies of the publication to:
Waldo Gifford Leland Award Subcommittee
Society of American Archivists
17 North State Street, Suite 1425
Chicago, IL 60602-3315
If the publication is electronic, then submissions via email are also are acceptable and should be sent to awards[at]archivists.org. Please indicate "Waldo Gifford Leland Award" in the email subject line. Use standard file applications such as Word, Excel, or Adobe; attachments should not exceed 5MB.
Questions should be directed to the Chair of the Waldo Gifford Leland Award Subcommittee.
1959: Theodore R. Schellenberg, Manual C. Stampa
1960: Julian P. Boyd
1961: Oliver W. Holmes
1962: Philip M. Hamer
1963: Kenneth W. Munden, Henry P. Beers
1964: Morris L. Radoff, Phebe R. Jacobsen
1965: Ernst Posner
1966: Edward E. Hill
1967: H.G. Jones
1968: Andrew Oliver
1969: Henry P. Beers
1970: Edgar B. Nixon
1971: Walter Rundell, Jr.
1972: Martin Schmitt
1973: Ernst Posner, Patricia Kennedy Grimsted
1974: Peter Walne, David Iredale
1975: Not awarded
1976: Kenneth W. Duckett
1977: Not awarded
1978: Richard C. Davis
1979: Ronald R. McCoy
1980: Harold C. Syrett
1981: H.G. Jones
1982: Edward E. Hill
1983: James M. O'Toole, Lucy F. West
1984: Richard C. Berner
1985: John Fleckner
1986: John Barton, Johanna Wellheiser
1987: Frederick J. Stielow
1988: Nancy E. Gwinn
1990: Henry P. Beers
1991: Richard J. Cox, Marie B. Allen, and Michael Miller
1992: Thomas Wilsted, William M. Nolte
1993: Helen W. Samuels; Certificate of Commendation: Charles Dollar
1994: F. Gerald Ham
1995: Joan D. Krizack
1996: Charles H. Lesser
1997: Anne Kenney, Stephan Chapman
1998: The Records of American Business, edited by James. M. O'Toole
1999: Not awarded
2000: Charles Dollar; Certificate of Commendation: Patricia Kennedy Grimsted
2001: Anne R. Kenney, Oya Y. Rieger
2002: Richard J. Cox
2003: Joan Echtenkamp Klein
2004: Gregory S. Hunter
2005: Richard J. Cox
2006: Mary Jo Pugh
2007: Waverly Lowell, Tawny Ryan Nelb
2008: Deidre Simmons
2009: Philip C. Bantin
2010: Karen D. Paul, Glenn R. Gray, L. Rebecca Johnson Melvin
2011: Dr. Laura A. Millar