Sister M. Claude Lane, O.P. Memorial Award: Vincent “Vinny” Barraza

Vincent “Vinny” Barraza, head of Archives and Special Collections at Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA), has been awarded the 2026 Sister M. Claude Lane, O.P., Memorial Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) in conjunction with the Society of Southwest Archivists. The award honors an archivist who has made a significant contribution to the field of religious archives.  

Barraza has spent over ten years promoting the history of XULA, the only Catholic Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the United States. He has increased the visibility of XULA’s archival collections on campus and in New Orleans through a variety of projects. Barraza has recorded oral history interviews with university and community members, including several members of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament who founded the university. He published an article on this work, “Saving the Black Catholic Experience of Xavier University of Louisiana,” in the Oral History Journal in 2020. Barraza also contributed greatly to the publication of A Century of Faith, Education & Service: The Xavier University of Louisiana Story, a 340-page history of XULA. He helped coordinate writers and student contributors, compiled thousands of photographs and captions, and reviewed multiple drafts of the book. Additionally, Barraza has been a member of the Models and Resources Committee of SAA’s Archivists of Religious Collections Section since 2023. He coordinates and hosts various virtual education sessions for the committee. This year, he is also a member of the Host Committee for SAA’s 2026 Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

Elected vice-president/president elect of the Louisiana Archives and Manuscripts Association (LAMA) in 2025, Barraza is resurrecting the dormant organization and planning the 2026 LAMA Annual Meeting and Conference to be held at XULA, the first in-person gathering for the organization since 2022. Previously, he has presented on his work at XULA for the American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA), the Rare Books and Manuscript Section (RBMS) of the American Library Association (ALA), the Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC), and the Louisiana Library Association (LLA). He also serves as the president of the Greater New Orleans Archivists (GNOA), co-lead of the American Alliance of Museums BIPOC Affinity Group, and the Louisiana Library Network (LOUIS) LIS Program Engagement Working Group. 

One of Barraza’s supporters noted that his “extraordinary dedication is evident in both larger projects and his everyday work,” and that he is “making strides toward elevating the XULA Archives as a significant repository for research.” On A Century of Faith, Education & Service: The Xavier University of Louisiana Story, one supporter remarked, “The 340-page masterpiece is a testament to his commitment to preserving the unique history of the country’s only Catholic HBCU.”

Created in 1974, this award honors Sister M. Claude Lane, O.P., a Dominican nun who was the first professionally trained archivist at the Catholic Archives of Texas in Austin. Past recipients include Eric Fair, director of the archives and records program for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and Thomas J. McCullough, assistant archivist for the Moravian Archives.