To Encourage Literary Distinction in the Writing of History and Biography

The Society of American Historians (SAH) was founded in 1939 by Allan Nevins and several fellow historians for the purpose of promoting literary distinction in the writing of history and biography. Under a charter of incorporation issued by the State of New York, the society has continued to promote its original objective in a variety of ways: through the awarding of prizes, the promotion of historical studies and interests, and cooperation with publishers and other institutions which are engaged in furthering these aims.

Recent Announcements

The competitions are open for the 53rd Annual Francis Parkman Prize and the 50th Annual Allan Nevins Dissertation Prize to be awarded in May, 2010, and for the 10th biennial James Fenimore Cooper Prize for historical fiction to be awarded in 2011.  The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2010 for the Parkman and the Nevins; it is a year later for the Cooper. 
See the Prizes section for guidelines >>

View This Year's Awards >>