The James Harvey Robinson Prize is awarded biennially for the teaching aid which has made the most outstanding contribution to the teaching and learning of history in any field for public or educational purposes. The Robinson Prize was established in 1974 by Council and first offered in 1978.
The prize is honorific.
General guidelines for submission are:
- The work should be a “teaching aid,” which encompasses textbooks, source and reference materials, audiovisuals, computer-assisted instruction, and public history or museum materials. Monographs and revisions will not be considered.
- The work should have the potential to influence history education. This influence could be in the form of a model that would have wide adaptability, and/or the influence could affect teachers and students through widely taught courses.
- The work must demonstrate recent and good historical scholarship an must be well written and attractively presented.
- Only items with a copyright of 2022 or 2023 will be eligible for the 2024 award.
- Nomination submissions may be made by an author or by a publisher. Publishers may submit as many entries as they wish. Authors or publishers may submit the same book for multiple AHA prizes.
- Nominators must complete an online prize submission form for each book submitted. Once you fill out the form you will receive an email with the committee’s contact information.
- One copy of each entry must be sent to each of the committee members and clearly labeled “Robinson Prize Entry.” Print copies preferred unless otherwise indicated. If only e-copy is available, please contact review committee members beforehand to arrange submission format.
Please Note: Entries must be received by May 15, 2024, to be eligible for the 2024 competition. Entries will not be returned. Recipients will be announced on the AHA website in October 2024 and recognized during a ceremony at the January 2025 AHA annual meeting in New York City.
For questions, please contact the Prize Administrator.
James Harvey Robinson
It is named in honor of James Harvey Robinson (1863–1936), president of the Association in 1929 and a pioneer in new methods and content of history teaching.
Past Recipients
Current Recipient
Zachary M. Schrag, George Mason University
The Princeton Guide to Historical Research (Princeton Univ. Press)
Zachary Schrag has written an exceptional volume that is as comprehensive as it is engaging. Historians and history instructors at all levels—from high school to those teaching graduate research seminars—will find tremendous value here. At every turn, this guide offers practical advice, surprising wit, and even wisdom. We anticipate it will quickly become the new standard for historical research.