Archival Awards
The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2024 Archival Awards. The Archival Award of Excellence (Individual) recipient is Krishna Shenoy (Botanical Research Institute of Texas Library). The Archival Award of Excellence (Institutional) has been awarded to The Wittliff Collections (Texas State University). This year’s David B. Gracy II Award for Distinguished Archival Service has been awarded to Ciaran B. Trace (the University of Texas at Austin, posthumous.
“THRAB is honored to present these worthy recipients with its 2024 Archival Awards,” said THRAB Coordinator and State Archivist Jelain Chubb. “There is no better way to mark Texas Archives Month than by shining a spotlight on the incredible work that has been done in Texas archival institutions this past year.”
The Archival Award of Excellence honors archival institutions and individuals in Texas who have made significant achievements in preserving and improving access to historical records in any format. Individual recipient Krishna Shenoy from the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) Library in Fort Worth is being recognized for her leadership in, “Advancing the Extended Specimen Network: Curating and Digitizing the Sherwin Carlquist Collection.” The U.S. National Science Foundation funded this collaborative research project based on botanist Sherwin Carlquist’s collections held at the BRIT and the California Botanic Garden Herbarium. Shenoy has played an essential role in developing and coordinating the processing, transcription and digitization of the Carlquist Collection.
Wittliff Collections at Texas State University, Archival Award of Excellence Institutional recipient, demonstrates dedication to the preservation of the state’s cultural legacy of artistic endeavors through a robust acquisitions program, solid stewardship of collections and dynamic outreach efforts. The Wittliff serves as a model for engaging the public and academics alike while developing archives and providing research services.
THRAB has chosen Ciaran B. Trace, Ph.D. for the 2024 David B. Gracy II Award for Distinguished Archival Service. The award recognizes an individual or organization that has provided outstanding leadership, service and/or contributions to the archival profession in Texas. Dr. Trace was a professor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Information for fourteen years prior to her passing in Spring of 2024. She was an innovative scholar, active participant in the archival community at all levels, and beloved educator and colleague.
Arrangements will be made to present each of the awards during Texas Archives Month.
Past Recipients:
David B. Gracy II Distinguished Archival Service Award
This award recognizes an individual, archival institution, education program, or nonprofit/government organization that has provided outstanding leadership, service or contribution to the archives profession in Texas.
2023
Monte L. Monroe, Texas State Historian and Archivist, Southwest Collection at Texas Tech University
2022
Society of Southwest Archivists
2020
David B. Gracy II
Advocacy for Archives Award
This award acknowledges an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to ensure the preservation and availability of the historical record of Texas.
2022
Texas Archival Resources Online (TARO)
2021
Melleta Bell, Senior Archivist (retired), Archives of the Big Bend, Sul Ross University
2020
Hogg Foundation for Mental Health
Archival Award of Excellence
This award recognizes significant achievements in preserving and improving access to historical records in any format by a Texas archival institution and individual achievements.
2023
Individual: Robert Weaver, Manuscript Archivist, Southwest Collection at Texas Tech University
Institution: William J. Hill Texas Artisans and Artists Archive
2022
Institution: Harry Ransom Center
2021
Individual: Kaitlyn Price, Registrar, Dallas Historical Society
2020
Individual: Travis Williams, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian, St. Edwards University
Institution: Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI)
2019
Institution: C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections, UTEP Library (El Paso, TX)
THRAB Coordinator, Jelain Chubb (center) presents the award to Head of Special Collections, Claudia Rivers
(right) and Assistant Head of Special Collections, Abbie Weiser (left). UTEP's Special Collections received the award
for their Casasola Project, which included a crowdsourcing effort to identify individuals in photos.
Individual: Brenda Lincke Fisseler, Lavaca County Archives
Lavaca County Clerk, Elizabeth Kouba (left), Archival Award of Excellence recipient Brenda Lincke Fisseler (center),
and THRAB Coordinator, Jelain Chubb (right) at the award ceremony held at the Lavaca County Courthouse Annex
in Halletsville. Photo by Jimmy Appelt.
[Press Release]
2018
Institution: Special Collections, University Libraries , University of North Texas (Denton, TX)
Morgan Gieringer, Head, Special Collections at UNT Libraries and THRAB member Linda Barrett
at the 2018 DFW Archives Bazaar. Barrett presented the Archival Award of Excellence to Gieringer
for their NBC5/KXAS (WBAP) Television News Archive Project.