Richard W. Leopold Prize
Encyclopedia
The Richard W. Leopold
Prize is awarded biennially by the Organization of American Historians
(OAH). Professor
Leopold (1912-2006) was President of the OAH in 1976-1977.
A 3-member committee, chosen by the President of the OAH, chooses the best history book on U.S. federal government
agencies, U.S. foreign policies, U.S. military affairs, or biographies of government officials. Only non-academic historians are eligible for the Prize, preferably historians employed by federal government agencies. The winning author receives $1,500. In 1990, the prize went to two books. In 2002, the prize went to two books, one of which had two authors. In these years, the authors split the prize money.
In the listing below, the author links lead to the latest available biographical data. Unfortunately, few government employees have sites comparable to those sites in academia. The institutional affiliation listed is that at the time the awards was given, and the links are to those institutions. In both cases, “Wikipedia” sites, where available, were given preference.
Richard W. Leopold
Richard William Leopold was a prominent diplomatic historian at Northwestern University.-Early life and education:...
Prize is awarded biennially by the Organization of American Historians
Organization of American Historians
The Organization of American Historians , formerly known as the Mississippi Valley Historical Association, is the largest professional society dedicated to the teaching and study of American history. OAH's members in the U.S...
(OAH). Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
Leopold (1912-2006) was President of the OAH in 1976-1977.
A 3-member committee, chosen by the President of the OAH, chooses the best history book on U.S. federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
agencies, U.S. foreign policies, U.S. military affairs, or biographies of government officials. Only non-academic historians are eligible for the Prize, preferably historians employed by federal government agencies. The winning author receives $1,500. In 1990, the prize went to two books. In 2002, the prize went to two books, one of which had two authors. In these years, the authors split the prize money.
In the listing below, the author links lead to the latest available biographical data. Unfortunately, few government employees have sites comparable to those sites in academia. The institutional affiliation listed is that at the time the awards was given, and the links are to those institutions. In both cases, “Wikipedia” sites, where available, were given preference.
| Year | Winner | Affiliation | Title |
| 1984 | J. Merton England | A Patron for Pure Science, The National Science Foundation's Formative Years, 1945-1957 | |
| 1986 | Steven L. Rearden | History of the Office of the Secretary of Defense: The Formative Years, 1947-1950 | |
| 1988 | James Edward Miller | The United States and Italy 1940-1950: The Politics and Diplomacy of Stabilization | |
| 1990 | Richard G. Hewlett Richard G. Hewlett Richard Greening Hewlett is an American public historian best known for his work as the Chief Historian of the United States Atomic Energy Commission.-Biography:... co-author |
U.S. Department of Energy | Atoms for Peace and War 1953-1961: Eisenhower and the Atomic Energy Commission |
| 1990 | Jack M. Holl co-author | U.S. Department of Energy | Atoms for Peace and War 1953-1961: Eisenhower and the Atomic Energy Commission |
| 1992 | Donald A. Ritchie Donald A. Ritchie Donald A. Ritchie is the Historian of the United States Senate.He graduated from the City College of New York and received a Master's Degree and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps, 1969–1971.He was responsible for editing the closed hearing... |
U.S. Senate | Press Gallery: Congress and the Washington Correspondents |
| 1994 | Donald R. Baucom | Air Power Research Institute at Maxwell Air Force Base Maxwell Air Force Base Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C... , Alabama Alabama Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland... |
The Origins of SDI, 1944-1983 |
| 1996 | Barton C. Hacker | U.S. Department of Energy | Elements of Controversy: The Atomic Energy Commission and Radiation Safety in Nuclear Weapons Testing, 1947-1974 |
| 1998 | Andrew J. Butrica | Independent scholar Independent scholar An independent scholar is anyone who conducts scholarly research outside universities and traditional academia. Independent scholars play an especially important role in areas such as art history and other humanities fields... |
To See the Unseen: A History of Planetary Radar Astronomy |
| 2000 | William M. Hammond | U.S. Army Center of Military History | Reporting Vietnam: Media and Military at War |
| 2002co-winner | Dale Andradéco-author | U.S. Army Center of Military History | Indonesia, Spies and Commandos: How America Lost the Secret War in North Vietnam |
| 2002co-winner | Kenneth Conboy, co-author | Control Risks Group Control Risks Group Control Risks is a global risk and strategic consulting firm specialising in political, security and integrity risk. Control Risks’ aim is to help its clients to understand and manage the risks of operating in complex or hostile environments... |
Indonesia, Spies and Commandos: How America Lost the Secret War in North Vietnam |
| 2002co-winner | Gary E. Weir | U.S. Naval Historical Center | An Ocean in Common: American Naval Officers, Scientists, and the Ocean |
| 2004 | Peter S. Kindsvatter | U.S. Army Ordnance Center and Schools, Aberdeen Proving Grounds | American Soldiers: Ground Combat in the World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam |
| 2006 | Robert J. Schneller Jr. | U.S. Naval Historical Center | Breaking the Color Barrier: The U.S. Naval Academy's First Black Midshipmen and the Struggle for Racial Equality |
| 2008 | Michael J. Neufeld | National Air and Space Museum National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It was established in 1976. Located in Washington, D.C., United States, it is a center for research into the history and science of aviation and... , Smithsonian Institution Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines... |
Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War |
| 2010 | J. Samuel Walker J. Samuel Walker J. Samuel Walker is an American historian and book author based in Maryland. Although not the subject of any widely known biography, he is notable for his widely recognized contribution to the enduring historical record in his specific field of study. His particular focus is on the nuclear age,... |
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission | The Road to Yucca Mountain: The Development of Radioactive Waste Policy in the United States |