Gail and Chuck Swanlund Award for Best Texas History Anthology

Award Amount: $1,000


Competition for the award shall be open to any professional historian, graduate student, or vocational historian;

The award will be judged on the following criteria:

  • The work must consist primarily of original academic essays, with no more than two previously published chapters. All chapters must be properly annotated and peer reviewed.
  • The dominant theme of the work should be some aspect of Texas/Southwestern history.
  • The work should present a variety of perspectives on the topic.
  • Topics should be pre-21st Century (in other words, topics from prior to 2000).
  • The work should have the potential to foster further research on the topic(s)
  • The award would be open to any edited volume published within two years of the award year.

The winning author must be present at the TSHA Annual Meeting to receive the award. A certificate and $1,000 will be presented at the Fellows and Awards Banquet. Judges may withhold the award at their discretion.

Publishers should submit an entry form and four (4) copies of each entry published and copyrighted in 2024 or 2025 to the TSHA office by November 15, 2025. Books published after October 1, but copyrighted during the calendar year will be accepted until December 1.

All book award submissions must include an individual nomination form in the container transmitting the book in question; TSHA is not responsible for books that arrive without nomination forms or after the submission deadline.

Gail and Chuck Swanlund Award
Texas State Historical Association
PO Box 5428
Austin, TX 78763

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Commemorating 250 years of American independence through the stories, people, and places that shaped Texas and the nation.

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, Texans have a unique opportunity to reflect on the state’s role in the American story. Through exhibitions, programs, educational initiatives, and community events across Texas, Texas America250 encourages celebration, reflection, and commemoration at both local and statewide levels. At the Texas State Historical Association, we are proud to support this important moment through our mission-driven work in history education and public engagement, including Texas History Day, and we invite students, educators, and communities to explore this milestone in meaningful ways.

On July 4, 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the greatest nation in the history of the world. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Long may these ideals live in the heart of every Texan and every American. May God bless all who have defended our freedoms that we enjoy each day. And God bless the United States of America.

Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas

Commemorating 250 years of American independence through the stories, people, and places that shaped Texas and the nation.

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, Texans have a unique opportunity to reflect on the state’s role in the American story. Through exhibitions, programs, educational initiatives, and community events across Texas, Texas America250 encourages celebration, reflection, and commemoration at both local and statewide levels. At the Texas State Historical Association, we are proud to support this important moment through our mission-driven work in history education and public engagement, including Texas History Day, and we invite students, educators, and communities to explore this milestone in meaningful ways.

On July 4, 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the greatest nation in the history of the world. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Long may these ideals live in the heart of every Texan and every American. May God bless all who have defended our freedoms that we enjoy each day. And God bless the United States of America.

Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas

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Participate through education and community engagement

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