Statement of Purpose: To promote literary distinction in historical writing. The Society sponsors three prize competitions that recognize exceptional literary merit in the writing of history and biography: the annual Francis Parkman Prize for a nonfiction book in American history; the biennial James Fenimore Cooper Prize for a historical novel on an American theme; and the Allan Nevins Prize for a doctoral dissertation on an American subject. The submission deadline for the Cooper and Parkman prizes is December 1 and for the Nevins, December 31. Membership is by election only.
Officers
President
Martha Hodes
New York Univ.
E-mail: martha.hodes@nyu.edu
Vice President
Craig Steven Wilder
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology
E-mail: cwilder@mit.edu
Executive Secretary
Andrew Lipman
Barnard Coll., Columbia Univ.
E-mail: alipman@barnard.edu
Administrative Secretary
Theo Cutler
Society of American Historians
E-mail: amhistsociety@columbia.edu
Updated 7/9/25