ACHA Announces New Awards

Beginning with the Boston ACHA meeting in January 2011, the association will bestow three new awards.  These “distinguished service awards” are divided into three categories, for teaching, scholarship and contribution to Catholic studies.  The proposal was presented by the ACHA’s new President, Steven Avella and was passed unanimously by the Executive Council.

The American Catholic Historical Association’s Distinguished Achievement Award for Scholarship will be bestowed on that scholar who, in the opinion of the committee making the selection, has during a long career made a significant impact on the understanding of Catholic history. The award is not for one book or any single piece of scholarship, but for a sustained series of contributions which have fundamentally animated the research of others besides being significant in their own right.

The American Catholic Historical Associations Award for Service to Catholic studies acknowledges the exceptional contributions of those who “promote study and research of the history of Catholicism broadly conceived” apart from teaching and publication. The term “service” may include any and all of the following, but are not restricted to them: service to the Association, archival management, museum displays that advance public knowledge of Catholic history, media and other activities that promote the role and place of Catholic studies to a wide audience.

The American Catholic Historical Association will present a Distinguished Teaching Award annually to a college or university professor who has demonstrated a high commitment to teaching beyond the expected requirements of their position and through their influence and skill have promoted Catholic studies from one generation of scholars to another.  Through this award the ACHA recognizes the importance of creative and effective teaching in the growth of Catholic studies.

These awards confer recognition on people who substantially assist the work of Catholic history through publication and in ways other than publication and provide an opportunity to reach out to various constituencies, e.g. archivists, museum curators, teachers with whom the association has regular contact.  These are non-cash awards (at present) and are not named. Future donors to the ACHA may be inspired to donate to an endowment fund for these awards and suggest names to be attached to them.

The president of the Association shall annually impanel an ad hoc committee to surface nominations from the membership. The committee will determine the kind of documentation necessary to support a nomination (brief c.v. of nominee, letters of support, etc.)  After due deliberation, the committee shall make the selections and convey these names to the President and Executive Secretary no later than November 1. The Executive Secretary shall notify the awardees and invite them to attend the awards celebration at the annual banquet where the award will be presented.  Professor Avella hopes that the first awards will be presented in Boston in January 2011.