Prescottonian Melissa Ruffner is honored with the 2003 Sharlot Hall Award for her teaching the "lore of her land," storytelling, and tour guiding that has contributed to the understanding and awareness of Arizona History.

Tucson resident Loretta "Lori" Davisson is honored with the 2002 Sharlot Hall Award for her research, writing, consulting, and archival work that has contributed to the understanding and awareness of Arizona history.

Pinetop resident Joan Baeza is honored with the Sharlot Hall Award for 2001 for her writing and teaching that has contributed to the understanding and awareness of Arizona history. This career came from a simple childhood desire—Baeza "always wanted to be a cowboy."

Mona Lange McCroskey's contribution to the understanding and awareness of Arizona history comes through her writing and her oral history projects.  A fourth generation Prescottonian, Mona was indoctrinated in the ways of her ranching family.  She spent most of her childhood at the Yolo Ranch in Yavapai County, and at the SV Ranch northwest of Wikieup. 

Virginia Culin Roberts has contributed greatly to the understanding and awareness of Arizona and its histoy through both her writing and her teaching.  The daughter of two Arizona pioneer families, Virginia was born on January 8, 1921, in Florida, a happenstance due to her father's military assignment.  She was one of the first third-generation students to attend the University of Arizona. 

Sharlot Hall Award Recipient 1998

Dr. Margaret F. Maxwell has made a significant effort to document and acquaint others with the people and incidents that influenced that influenced Arizona's history.  Born September 9, 1927 in Schenectady, New York, Maxwell first came to Arizona in 1971 when she was appointed to the faculty of the Graduate Library School of the University of Arizona.  A strong interest in Arizona history has resulted in numerous lectures, articles and books.  She has been a frequent contributor to the Journal of Arizona History and coedited Voices of the Southwest: A Gathering in Honor of Lawrence Clark Powell (1976). 

Lillian Gabbard Theobald has made a significant effort to preserve the panorama of Arizona's history and to encourage others to learn and enjoy its colorful stories.   Born in 1907 in Camp Verde, Lillian Gabbard lived in many parts of Arizona during her childhood as her father accepted different assignments with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  In 1932 she married John Theobald, with whom she later published one of Arizona's finest reference books, Arizona Territory: Post Offices and Postmasters (1961). 

Rosemarie Sanguinetti Gwynn is a member of a well-known and active Yuma pioneer family.   The first step toward what is now the Century House Museum came when the Sanguinettis opened part of their property to the Yuma Art Center for classes in 1959.   In 1972, Mrs. Gwynn and her brother donated the Century House, gardens and Adobe Annex to the Arizona Historical Society for continued use as a Museum facility.  This became the first branch museum of the Arizona Historical Society, Rio Colorado Chapter.

As founding director of the Arizona Humanities Council, Lorraine W. Frank provided vision, encouragement, and administrative skills that enabled the funding of millions of dollars in history projects from Nogales to Kingman, and from Jerome to Bisbee.

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.  For these reasons, the award committee and the board of trustees decided to present two awards this year, 1994, to Doris Seibold and Ynida Smalley Moore.