{"id":5063,"date":"2026-03-30T14:27:30","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T20:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arkansashistoricalassociation.org\/?page_id=5063"},"modified":"2026-03-30T14:44:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T20:44:49","slug":"2026-award-winners","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/arkansashistoricalassociation.org\/?page_id=5063","title":{"rendered":"2026 Award Winners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Award Recipients: 2026<\/em><\/a> | 2025<\/a> | 2024<\/a> | 2023<\/a> | Nomination Forms<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Lifetime Achievement Award<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Carl Miller<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Diamond Award<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n

Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, Central Arkansas Library System<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

University of Arkansas at Monticello<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

John William Graves Book Award<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Scott W. Stern<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There Is a Deep Brooding in Arkansas: The Rape Trials that Sustained Jim Crow–and the People who Fought It, from Thurgood Marshall to Maya Angelou<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Yale University Press)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

J. G. Ragsdale Book Award<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Buckley T. Foster<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So Great Was the Slaughter: Market Hunters, Sportsmen, and Wildlife Conservation in Arkansas<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(University of Alabama Press)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

James H. Atkinson Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Arkansas History<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

<\/b>Sharon Purtle, Wonderview High School, Hattieville, AR<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Lucille Westbrook Award<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Alex McEachern<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Collapse of the Cotton States League: Segregation and the Final Years of Minor League Baseball in South Arkansas”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Violet B. Gingles Award<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ani-ya Beasley<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Thomas Bass: Arkansas Reconstruction Politician”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Susannah DeBlack Award<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Carlotta Walls LaNier<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carlotta’s Special Dress: How a Walk to School Changed Civil Rights History<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Little, Brown and Company)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

James L. Foster and Billy W. Beason Award<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Kaylee Cook<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Big Jesus: Christian Tourism and Far-Right Influence in the Arkansas Ozarks”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Susie Pryor Award in Arkansas Women’s History<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Rebecca J. Becker<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Beyond the Classroom Walls: Minnie Belle Collier and the Modernization of Rural Arkansas Education, 1918-1938”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Walter L. Brown County and Local Journal Awards<\/span>
<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

 <\/span><\/b>Best County or Local Journal<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clark County Historical Journal<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clark County Historical Association<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honorable Mention<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Journal<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fort Smith Historical Society<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Use of Graphics<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historical Bulletin<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grand Prairie Historical Society<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Article<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dan Durning<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The 1866 Murders of Dr. A. W. Webb and His Young Son Moss: A Story with a Surprise Ending”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pulaski County Historical Review<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pulaski County Historical Society<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Biography, Autobiography, or Memoir<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maylon Rice<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Sketches of Helen Finger Leflar, Capturing Fond Memories of Family and Fayetteville”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flashback<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Washington County Historical Society<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Business History<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clint L. Harris and Mary Cooper Miller<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Arkansas Aircraft, Douglas, McDonnel Douglas, and Boeing”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Izard County Historian<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Izard County Historical and Genealogical Society<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Family History<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Billy Higgins<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Darby Family Story: Percy & Nellie”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Journal<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fort Smith Historical Society<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Church History<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joe May<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“A History of Churches of Christ in the Arkadelphia Area”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clark County Historical Journal<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clark County Historical Association<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best School History<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terry S. Reynolds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Black Schools of Parkers Chapel”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tracks and Traces<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Union County Genealogical Society<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Community History<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wendy Richter<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Hot Springs Trade Tokens: The Spa City’s Coupons of Yesteryear”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Record<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Garland County Historical Society<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Edited Document<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JCHS Staff<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“April 12, 1945–Tornado: Donated Documentation”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Journal<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Johnson County Historical Society<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Newsletter<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Backtracker<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Award Recipients: 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | Nomination Forms Lifetime Achievement Award Carl Miller Diamond Award Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, Central Arkansas Library System University of Arkansas at Monticello John William Graves Book Award Scott W. Stern There Is a Deep Brooding in Arkansas: The Rape Trials that Sustained Jim Crow–and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":19,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5063","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"featured_image_src":null,"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/arkansashistoricalassociation.org\/?author=1"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Award Recipients: 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | Nomination Forms Lifetime Achievement Award Carl Miller Diamond Award Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, Central Arkansas Library System University of Arkansas at Monticello John William Graves Book Award Scott W. Stern There Is a Deep Brooding in Arkansas: The Rape Trials that Sustained Jim Crow–and…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkansashistoricalassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkansashistoricalassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkansashistoricalassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkansashistoricalassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkansashistoricalassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5063"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/arkansashistoricalassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5085,"href":"https:\/\/arkansashistoricalassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5063\/revisions\/5085"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkansashistoricalassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkansashistoricalassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}