For the first time since the inception of the Sharlot Hall Award the award committee found itself unable to choose between two exceptional nominees.  Both nominees have exhibited long-time commitments to the history of Arizona and have maintained a high quality of excellence in their fields for many years. 

Prescott owes a great debt to Elisabeth Freidrich Ruffner.  She was instrumental in creating what has become one of the finest and most active local historic preservation movements in the United States, and in doing so cemented the town's historic and aesthetic appeal.

Marguerite Noble, who currently resides in Payson, was born in Tent City at Roosevelt Dam. She attended school at Punkin Center and Florence, and received bachelor and masters degrees from Arizona State University. She taught history and literature in Phoenix for many years. Her articles on Arizona history have appeared in numerous local, state, and national publications, including Arizona Highways and the New York Times.

"Ask Katharine" was the most common phrase heard at the Museum of Northern Arizona for more than 50 years. Since 1930, when the new Museum, founded by Dr. Harold S. Colton, had only four employees, Katharine Bartlett has been a driving force in the growth and development of this major Arizona museum.

For more than twenty years, Bonnie has produced television documentaries for KTSP-TV (Channel Ten), Phoenix. She is probably best known for two long-running documentary series: Copperstate Cavalcade, and On the Arizona Road. The Copperstate Cavalcade series ran on prime time for ten years, covering all aspects of Arizona history.

In forty years of service in the Arizona House of Representatives, the "First Lady of the Arizona Legislature" has supported and sponsored many pieces of legislation in such diverse areas as criminal justice, highway safety, and public health. For longer than that forty years, however, Polly has made it her business to concern herself with the preservation of Arizona's history.

Billy is a long-time supporter of history and historical preservation in Arizona. She is a charter member and five-time president of the Pinal County Historical Society, was appointed to the Arizona Historical Advisory Commission, worked on Governor Bruce Babbitt's Task force on Parkways, Scenic and Historic Roads, and is the 1988 recipient of the Governorís Award for Historic Preservation.

Historian, researcher, writer, Constance Altshuler was born in Chicago, Illinois. She received her college education at the University of Chicago as well as receiving a degree from the University of Michigan. Connie worked as a reporter on the Chicago Sun-Times as well as writing fiction.

Journalist and author, Thelma Margaret Heatwole began her journalistic career in 1946 as a reporter for the Glendale News Herald. Before joining the staff of the Arizona Republic, Heatwole served as a "stringer" for the Phoenix Gazette. During her 16-year career as a reporter for the Arizona Republic, she covered the news of eight cities, as well as Luke Air Force base.

Clara Lee (Fraps) Tanner, (b. 1905 - d. 1997) an anthropologist, archaeologist, writer and teacher, was considered at one time to be the one of the most knowledgeable people alive on the subject of Southwest Indian arts and crafts. Born in Biscoe, North Carolina on May 28, 1905, Ms. Tanner was an Arizona resident for 90 years. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Archaeology at the University of Arizona and was one of the first three students to receive a Master's Degree in Archaeology there in 1928.