History and Purpose of Awards

Each year, the AHC Board of Directors honors individuals and organizations that have furthered the mission of AHC over a period of time by presenting three awards:

The scholar award was renamed in 2003 to honor Dan Shilling’s many years and contributions on the occasion of his retirement as AHC’s executive director. The AHC Board made the change to mark Dan’s legacy, reflect the esteem in which he is held, and recognize Dan’s own respect for scholarship.

All award recipients receive a glass sculpture. The Dan Shilling Public Scholar and Distinguished Organization also receive $500 each.

2007 Distinguished Organization: Pima County Public Library

The AHC Board of Directors has selected the Pima County Public Library (PCPL) to receive the Distinguished Organization Award in recognition of its commitment to encourage lifelong learning through an enduring relationship with AHC. Over the years, PCPL has worked with AHC to provide excellent public humanities programming throughout Pima County, including discussion programs as part of the popular AHC-directed Moving Waters exhibit; through use of AHC’s Speakers Bureau programs and Community Book Discussions (which have reached more than 2,200 people in the library since 2002); and through consistent support of OneBookAZ, the statewide effort that asks readers across the state to read and discuss the same title during the month of April. In addition, AHC grants in 2005 and 2006 supported "Southwest Books of the Year," a publication distributed at public and academic libraries statewide.

Through programs such as these PCPL is reaching both urban and rural communities alike. An additional community being reached by PCPL is prison inmates. AHC Program Director Ann-Mary Johnson notes that since 2001 PCPL has been an active site in the Motheread/Fatheread® Arizona program, a family literacy program that encourages parents to read with their children and improve their own reading skills in the process. "PCPL has been involved with Motheread/Fatheread®Arizona practically since the beginning. While there are other Motheread® programs reaching parents within the prisons, it is remarkable that PCPL has a dedicated branch within the Adult Detention Center." Another branch, the Juvenile Detention Center Library, was opened in 2003.

This outstanding library, with its hardworking and tenacious staff, continues to be a cornerstone of the community, and its branches are an essential part of multicultural neighborhoods and the communities they serve.

Distinguished Organization History

2006 - Phoenix Burton Barr Central Library
2005 - Museum Association of Arizona
2004 - Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott
2003 - Hassayampa Institute for Creative Writing at Yavapai College
2002 - Center for Desert Archaeology, Tucson
2001 - Historic Sahuaro Ranch Foundation, Glendale
2000 - Parker Public Library
1999 - Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
1998 - Scottsdale Cultural Council
1996 - Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum
1995 - Arizona State Museum
1994 - The Heard Museum
1993 - Yuma County Library District
1992 - Mohave Museum of History and Arts
1991 - Casa Grande Valley Historical Society Museum
1990 - Glendale Public Library, Apache Junction Public Library (co-recipients)

2007 Dan Shilling Public Scholar: Dr. Karen J. Leong

In the last several years, Dr. Karen J. Leong has made significant contributions to public humanities programming in Arizona and in recognition of her efforts to bring her knowledge and insights to communities throughout the state, she has been named the 2007 Dan Shilling Public Scholar.

In addition to her work as a scholar on several AHC General Grant projects, Leong has been a member of the Speakers’ Bureau since 2004, and has made numerous presentations across the state, reaching several hundred people. The range of topics she offers provides in-depth, multiple-perspective insights into the impact Asian Americans have had on Arizona and the U.S.

When asked about her work with AHC, Dr. Leong said, "What I’ve most enjoyed about being a member of the AHC Speakers’ Bureau has been the opportunity to travel throughout Arizona and to learn more about the diverse communities in our state. Whether I have been invited to talk about Asian Americans in Arizona, Japanese American internment in Arizona, or Hollywood diversity, the audience members have all been quite attentive and demonstrated such interest in learning about other cultures and their histories. I think I’ve learned more from those who attend my presentations than they learn from me—they are so generous in sharing their own experiences and local knowledge. It’s been a true privilege to participate as an AHC Speaker."

Dr. Leong is director of Asian Pacific American Studies at Arizona State University, where she is an associate professor of Women and Gender Studies and Asian Pacific American Studies, and affiliated faculty with the Department of History and the African and African American Studies Program.

Dan Shilling Public Scholar History

2006 - Dr. Laura Tohe, Arizona State University
2005 - Dr. Matthew Whitaker, Arizona State University
2004 - Mary Melcher, Ph.D., Arizona Historical Society
2003 - Judy Nolte Temple, Ph.D., Department of English & Women’s Studies, University of Arizona
2002 - Elizabeth Larson-Keagy, Ph.D., Cultural Geographer, Arizona State University
2001 - Neal A. Lester, Ph.D., Department of English, Arizona State University
2000 - Patricia Preciado Martin, author
1999 - Peter Iverson, Ph.D., Department of History, Arizona State University
1998 - L. Chris Smith, Ph.D., Department of History, Arizona State University
1996 - Joann Kealiinohomoku, Ph.D., ethnomusicologist, Cross Cultural Dance Resources
1995 - Christine Marin, Ph.D., archivist, Arizona State University Libraries
1994 - Jay Cravath, Ph.D., musician and school teacher, Parker
1993 - Robert Trennert, Ph.D., Department of History, Arizona State University
1992 - James Griffith, Ph.D., Southwest Folklore Center, University of Arizona (Special Recognition: Isidore Starr)
1991 - Mary L. Rothschild, Ph.D., Department of History, Arizona State University
1990 - James Byrkit, Ph.D., Department of History, Northern Arizona University History

2007 Friend of the Humanities:

Changing Hands is the kind of bookstore that we imagine when we think of whiling away an afternoon, curled up in a corner, leafing through a stack of books and making the hard choice of what to buy that day, and what needs to be saved for another time. It’s the kind of bookstore where people gather to share ideas, try new things, and meet interesting, creative people. It’s a well-loved community-gathering place that has managed to successfully navigate the choppy waters created by proliferating chain bookstores, online buying and dire statistics on the state of reading in the U.S. today. Named the Publisher’s Weekly Bookseller of the Year in 2007, Changing Hands Bookstore is a treasured Arizona institution and a wonderful partner to the Arizona Humanities Council.

It’s difficult to trace the relationship between AHC and Changing Hands back to its beginnings, but in many ways the organizations grew up together in the rapidly changing environment of the last thirty years. In the last ten years, Changing Hands has been a staunch supporter of the Arizona Book Festival, sending staff to participate on the festival planning committee, helping to bring key authors to the event, selling books, and helping to publicize the festival. Each year they bring great ideas and elbow grease to the table, and embody the spirit of “sharing stories, enriching communities” that underlies the festival’s mission.

In addition to the work on the Arizona Book Festival, Changing Hands has continued to step up in creative ways to work with AHC throughout the years: selling books at various events, creating co-promotion opportunities with AHC that help spread the word on visiting scholars/authors and garner increased visibility, and being a creative partner in helping to inspire readers and writers in Arizona.

"AHC has always been a beloved partner with us in spreading the cause of literacy and culture in our community," says Gayle Shanks, a founding partner in Changing Hands Bookstore. "We have worked hand in hand for many years and we are changing the face of the Valley by bringing authors into people’s lives and reminding citizens that the arts and humanities are important and worth supporting. The Valley has become an important stop for great exhibits at the art museum, good theater and important writers touring the country."

Friend of the Humanities History

2006 - Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT)
2005 - James R. Carruthers, Ed.D.
2004 - Noel Stowe
2003 - KAET-TV, Channel 8
2002 - Salt River Project
2001 - Arizona State Library, Archives & Public Records
2000 - The Arizona Republic and Jack W. Whiteman (posthumous award)
1999 - Arizona State Representative Carolyn Allen and United States Congressman Jim Kolbe
1998 - Elsa Paine Mulhern