2024 Oscar Lewis Awards

The Book Club of California congratulates the recipients of the 2024 Oscar Lewis Awards:

DR. ALBERT L. HURTADO
Oscar Lewis Award for Western History

Dr. Albert L. Hurtado was recognized for achievement in Western History.

Albert L. Hurtado is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Oklahoma, where he held the Travis Chair in Modern American history and taught courses on the American West and Native America until his retirement in 2012. A prolific scholar, his publications have garnered numerous awards, including the Billington Prize for Indian Survival on the California Frontier (1988), the Neuerburg Award for Intimate Frontiers: Sex, Gender and Culture in Old California (1999), and the Caughey Prize for John Sutter, A Life on the North American Frontier (2006). Professor Hurtado’s most recent book is Herbert Eugene Bolton: Historian of the American Borderlands (2012). In addition to these monographs, he is the editor of two texts, Major Problems in American Indian History (1994, 2001, 2014), and Reflections on American Indian History (2008).

He has served as past president of the Western History Association and the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association and as a distinguished lecturer for the Organization of American Historians. In addition to holding academic appointments Hurtado has worked since the 1970s as a public historian in the areas of historic preservation, cultural resource management, and land and water issues. In recent years he has worked on behalf of several California Indian tribes as an expert witness in cases involving land tenure, federal recognition, and tribal history. He is currently working on a book of interpretive essays about California Indians.

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LAWRENCE G. VAN VELZER and PEGGY GOTTHOLD
Oscar Lewis Award for the Book Arts

Lawrence G. Van Velzer and Peggy Gotthold were recognized for achievement in the Book Arts.

Foolscap Press is the creation of Lawrence G. Van Velzer and Peggy Gotthold. Working together as a team for many years, they produce limited edition, handmade books from their home studio in Santa Cruz. Larry operates the printing presses and Peggy handles the bookbinding. Both contribute to the ideas and design behind each book and collaborate with authors and illustrators throughout the process. In addition to producing limited edition books, Foolscap creates hand printed and bound chapbooks and ephemera that are sent out to friends, family, and subscribers. One such annual publication is their April Fool’s Day Keepsake, a humorous chapbook written and printed by Larry and illustrated and sewn by Peggy.

Both Larry and Peggy worked in California in book production for many years. Peggy established the in-house bindery at Arion Press. Before that, the Press had outsourced its bindings to the Schuberth Bookbindery where Peggy worked. In addition to her bookbinding background, Peggy trained in letterpress printing and typesetting at Cowell Press (UCSC), Yolla Bolly Press, and Artichoke Press. Larry learned printing in technical high schools and was a letterpress printer, having learned printing from his father, who published a newspaper printed on a handpress. Larry operated his own press and worked as a printer and typesetter at Arion Press where he met Peggy.

When Peggy and Larry left Arion Press, they began making their own limited edition books as Foolscap Press. Both have been active in supporting the book arts and book artists for decades, attending CODEX Foundation symposia and book fairs, and being generous in sharing their knowledge of book making and providing mentorship to other printers, bookbinders, and book artists in California.

Foolscap Press’ books can be found in special collections libraries and institutions internationally. Notable works include Direction of the Road by Ursula K. Le Guin with woodcuts by Aaron Johnson, Desert Dreams, a story by Lawrence G. Van Velzer with illustrations by Peggy Gotthold, and their latest publication Thomas Paine in his own words with calligraphy by Thomas Ingmire.

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The Oscar Lewis Awards were established by the Book Club of California in 1994 in honor of Oscar Lewis (1893-1992), San Francisco author, historian, and club secretary from 1921-1946.

Past recipients of the Oscar Lewis Award for Western History:

Dorothy Lazard (2023)
Charles Wollenberg (2022)
Charles Fracchia (2021)
John Briscoe (2020)
Dr. Rose Marie Beebe and Dr. Robert Senkewicz (2019)
Brewster Kahle (2018)
Robert Bringhurst (2017)
James Karman (2016)
Dr. Gray Brechin (2015)
Rebecca Solnit (2014)
W. Michael Mathes (2012)
Philip P. Choy (2011)
Thomas Pinney (2010)
Robert J. Chandler (2009)
Malcolm Margolin (2008)
Carl Nolte (2007)
Robert V. Hine (2006)
David F. Myrick (2005)
Robert G. Harlan (2004)
Kevin Starr (2003)
Ferol Egan (2002)
Muir Dawson (2001) and Glen Dawson (2001)
J. S. Holliday (2000), Msgr. Francis J. Weber (2000)
Allan R. Ottley (1999)
Gary F. Kurutz (1998)
Richard H. Dillon (1997)
Lawrence Clark Powell (1996)
Doyce B. Nunis, Jr., (1996)
Michael Harrison (1995)
Dr. Albert Shumate (1994)

Past recipients of the Oscar Lewis Award for the Book Arts:

Richard Seibert (2023)
Mary Risala Laird (2022)
Wesley B. Tanner (2021)
Mary Austin & Kathleen Burch (2020)
Fred and Barbara Voltmer (2019)
Betsy Davids (2018)
Kitty Maryatt (2017)
Richard Wagener (2016)
Harry & Sandra Reese (2015)
Johanna Drucker (2014)
Carolee Campbell (2013)
Jonathan Clark (2012)
Clifford Burke (2011)
Charles Hobson (2010)
Graham Mackintosh (2009)
David Lance Goines (2008)
Patrick W. Reagh (2007)
Peter Rutledge Koch (2006)
Joseph J. D’Ambrosio (2005)
Eleanore Edwards Ramsey (2004)
Joanne Margarethe Sonnichsen (2003)
Carolyn and James Robertson (2002)
Wolfgang Lederer (2001)
Andrew Hoyem (2000)
Jack W. Stauffacher (1999)
S. Gale Herrick (1998)
Sandra Kirshenbaum (1998)
Marjorie G. Stern (1997)
Lewis and Dorothy Allen (1996)
Albert Sperisen (1995)
Stella Patri (1995)
Ward Ritchie (1994)