Nominations will be received until Jan. 31
for Excellence in Public History award

The Society of Civil War Historians (SCWH) is seeking nominations for its $5,000 Award for Excellence in Public History.

The award, for which nominations must be received by Jan. 31, is funded by the Blue and Gray Education Society and will recognize an outstanding public history project completed and made available to the public in 2011. Nominated projects should be those that enhanced public awareness and understanding of the Civil War era, including the events leading to the war and its direct consequences.

Eligible projects include (1) public exhibitions, (2) media productions (including internet-based projects), (3) public programs, events, and tourism initiatives and (4) preservation projects that include the interpretation of objects, documents, structures or landscapes.

Non-fiction and fiction books and other print publications are not eligible for the award.

Nominations may be submitted by private non-profit organizations, government agencies, private for-profit organizations, or individuals including museums, historic sites, historical parks, historic preservation groups and historical associations.

A nominated work must have been in place during the year prior to the date of the award and must be a stand-alone project. Although it may be located within a larger endeavor, it should be a discrete portion of that project. As an example, one phase of a three-year museum exhibition or a specific section of an original website that will continue to expand would be eligible.

Nominations and supporting materials should speak to the project's creativity, quality of the research and interpretation, and contributions to understanding of the Civil War era.

Nomination packages must be sent to each member of a five-person jury and must include (1) a project narrative (no more than two pages), (2) a one-page description of the organization responsible for the nominated project, (3) a DVD, CD or other appropriate electronic media presenting project content, (4) two letters of support from individuals not affiliated with the organization, (5) published material where appropriate (flyers, pamphlets, etc.), (6) evaluative materials including, but not limited to published reviews, granting agency evaluations, public comments, etc.

Nomination packages should be sent to these jury members:

• Peter Carmichael, Civil War Institute Chair, Gettysburg College, 300 North Washington Street, Campus Box 415, Gettysburg, Pa. 17325,

• Anne Rubin, History Dept., University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, Md. 21250,

• John Hennessey, Fredericksburg National Military Park, 120 Chatham Lane, Fredericksburg, Va. 22405,

• Gordon Jones, Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, Ga. 30305,

• Keith Bohannon, History Dept., University of West Georgia, Carrollton, Ga. 30118.

The award will be presented at the SCWH Conference in Lexington June 14-16.