Funding: Louis Pelzer Memorial Award

Deadline: December 2, 2019

The Louis Pelzer Memorial Award Committee of the Organization of American Historians invites candidates for graduate degrees to submit essays for the Louis Pelzer Memorial Award competition. Essays may deal with any period or topic in the history of the United States. The winning essay will be published in the Journal of American History. Louis Pelzer was president of the OAH 1935–1936.

Essays, including footnotes, should not exceed 10,000 words. The electronic version of the essay should be sent to jahms@oah.org with “2020 Louis Pelzer Memorial Award Entry” noted in the subject line, and one hard copy should be submitted to the address below. Because manuscripts are judged anonymously, the author’s name and graduate program should appear only on a separate cover page.

The award will be presented at the 2020 OAH Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., April 2–5.

The winning essay will be published in the Journal of American History.

Significance of the subject matter, literary craftsmanship, and competence in the handling of evidence are some of the factors that will be considered in judging the essays. The deadline for submitting an essay for consideration is December 2, 2019.

Manuscripts should be clearly labeled “2020 Louis Pelzer Memorial Award Entry,” postmarked by December 2, 2019, and addressed to:

Benjamin H. Irvin, Executive Editor, OAH/Editor, Journal of American History
(Chair, 2020 Louis Pelzer Memorial Award Committee)
Journal of American History
1215 East Atwater Avenue
Bloomington IN 47401

The final decision will be made by the Louis Pelzer Memorial Award Committee by February 2020. The winner will be provided with details regarding the OAH Annual Meeting and awards presentation. By applying for this award, you are agreeing to OAH’s use of your data however it is needed in the normal course of business if selected as winner or honorable mention. ​Read our privacy policy here​.

Louis Pelzer Memorial Award Committee

Benjamin H. Irvin, Executive Editor, OAH/Editor, Journal of American History (Chair)
Katherine Grandjean, Wellesley College
Quincy Mills, Vassar College
Carmen Whalen, Williams College

DEADLINE: APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY DECEMBER 2, 2019

List of Past Winners