The Canadian Historical Association recently sought nominations for a new Public History prize it will be awarding at the annual conference, which will be in Fredericton this year. Details here.
About the same time, I was talking to an MA in Public History, now doing terrific work in the field. He's a graduate of the University of Waterloo's public history program -- which went "on hiatus" in 2006 and has never revived. He does not regret its closing much. Having worked in the field for several years, he now suspects most graduate programs in public history are largely universities' attempt to credentialize a field in which they have little expertise or real interest.
The CHA's new Public History prize sounds like a good and worthy effort. But the committee may have some work ahead of it.
