Past Recipients
The W. Turrentine Jackson Dissertation Prize is awarded annually to the outstanding dissertation on any aspect of the history of the American West in the 20th century.
The prize honors Professor W. Turrentine “Turpie” Jackson (1915-2000), who taught for more than three decades at the University of California, Davis. Jackson, a leading historian of the American West, received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1940. He wrote or edited numerous books and articles, including the prize-winning Wagon Roads West (1952); Treasure Hill: Portrait of a Silver Mining Camp (1963); and The Enterprising Scot: Investors in the American West after 1873 (1968).
Jackson was also a pioneering public historian, serving as a consulting historian for Wells Fargo for two decades and writing thirteen monographs and articles on the company’s history, and taking on public history projects for law firms, environmental consultants, and government agencies. He consulted for several government and private organizations and lectured widely on the history of the American West in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe. In addition, he was a decorated and popular teacher, winning the Academic Senate’s Distinguished Teaching Award (1973-1974) and the Associated Students of U.C., Davis teaching award (1982). Jackson and his family generously gave back to both U.C. Davis and the broader historical community as well, endowing several scholarships and awards in addition to the PCB-AHA and Pacific Historical Review prizes that honor his legacy.
The deadline for submissions is February 15. One copy of the dissertation should be sent to each of the three members of the committee.
Questions may be addressed to Michael Green, Executive Director of the PCB–AHA, [email protected].
Jackson Selection Committee for 2023
William Philpott (2023)
Department of History
University of Denver
[email protected]
Ana Elizabeth Rosas (2024)
Department of History
University of California, Irvine
[email protected]
Mark Padoongpatt (2025)
Department of Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
[email protected]
