In 1975 Mrs. Ida Gershoy made a gift to the Association in order to establish a prize in memory of her husband, Leo Gershoy. Professor Gershoy was a specialist in European history associated with the faculty of New York University for more than 35 years. The prize named in his honor is awarded to the author of the most outstanding work published in English on any aspect of 17th- and 18th-century western European history.

The prize is awarded annually to the author of the most outstanding work published in English on any aspect of the fields of 17th- and 18th-century western European history. The current prize amount is $1,000. See the list of past recipients.

The general rules for submission are:

1. Only books of high scholarly and literary merit will be considered.
2. Books with a copyright of 2022 will be eligible for the 2023 award.
3. 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.
4. Nominators must complete an online prize submission form for each book submitted.
5. One copy of each entry must be sent to each committee member and clearly marked “Gershoy Award 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, 2023, to be eligible for the 2023 competition. Entries will not be returned. Recipients will be announced on the AHA website in October 2023 and recognized during a ceremony at the January 2024 AHA annual meeting in San Francisco.

For questions, please contact the Prize Administrator.