Award Recipients:
2009 - 12th Annual Awards Dinner Saturday, July 18 photo album
Wells Fargo History Musuem - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Bob Bowen - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Kevin Mullen - Oscar Lewis Award
Potrero Hill Archives - Walter Jebe, Sr. Neighborhood Award
2008 - 11th Annual Awards Dinner - Saturday, August 9 photo album
The San Francisco Arts Commission - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
For its work preserving the Portals of the Past in Golden Gate Park
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Heyday Books - Oscar Lewis Award
John Gaul - Walter Jebe, Sr. Neighborhood Award
2007 - SFHA 25th Anniversary Celebration
2006 - 10th Annual Awards Dinner Saturday, July 15, 2006
San Francisco Fire Department Historical Society - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
The SFFDHS main role is to preserve the artifacts and history of the San Francisco Fire Department and to promote awareness and understanding of this history. IN addition, SFFDHS operates the SFFD Fire Museum for the benefit of the residents and visitors to the City and County of San Francisco.
Kit Haskell - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
As Program Chair for our Association for 9 years, Kit has provided us with many interesting and informative speakers. She also is a member of Victorian Alliance since 1989 when she began illustrating with pen and ink drawings of the homes on their tours. Those drawings and others have been sold on T-shirts, mugs, and note cards over the years. Currently, she is working on the illustrations for a new book called “Fables & Gables” by Anne & Arthur Bloomfield, due out next spring.
Arcadia Publishing - Oscar Lewis Award
As the leading local history publisher in the United States, Arcadia Publishing has produced books on thousands of towns and neighborhoods. But of the more than 3,000 tittles so far released, in no other city have we found the fervor for history that exists here in San Francisco. Because this city is composed of interconnected village-like neighborhoods, it makes sense for us to publish books on many areas and periods of the city’s history. Thus far we have produced over 30 titles here- more than in any other city – with more in the works. We know that local interest here goes far beyond Postcard Row, the ’06 Quake and the bridges, so we’ve covered such areas as the Sunset, Excelsior, West Portal, Potrero Hill, Fillmore, Richmond, the Marina, the Presidio, Visitacion Valley, and Bayview Hunters Point. We are looking forward to continuing our relationship with San Francisco, and uncovering many more of the city’s historic gems.
Lorri Ungaretti - Walter Jebe Neighborhood Award
Lorri is a San Francsico native who grew up in the Parkside/Sunset District and now researches the history of the Sunset.She has been a member of the City Guides since 2001. She later wrote two-books published by Arcadia (and was a guest speaker at our monthly meeting) “San Francisco’s Sunset District” and “San Francisco’s Richmond District.”
She has also interviewed long-time residents, written articles, and given visual presentations. All of this work, she says, is to share with people the fascinating history of San Francisco neighborhoods that don’t get the attention they deserve.
2005 - 9th Annual Awards Dinner - Saturday, July 16, 2005
The Victorian Alliance of San Francisco - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
The Victorian Alliance is a non-profit organization committed to the preservation and restoration of Victorian an other historic structures, particularly within the city of San Francisco. It was founded in 1972 by a group of privat citizens who were alarmed over the mounting demolition of entire neighborhoods of San Francisco's Victorian heritage. The Alliance actively supports the preservation efforts of our publicly -elected an appointed representatives and of other citizens, endeavoring to offer education and background information as necessary.
Woody LaBounty - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Woody grew up in the Richmond District, an after a career as a circus performer, juggler, magician and clown, he co-founded the Western Neighborhoods Project in 1999. In five short years, this non-profit organization has conducted oral histories; produced radio and stage plays; published booklets and produced videos; created free history walks on West Portal and Ocean Avenues. All in the name of saving and sharing the history of San Francisco's western neighborhoods.
For the past three years, the Western Neighborhood Project has worked to save four 1906 earthquake refugee cottages from demolition. On March 25, 2005, thanks to donated efforts, the cottages were moved to the San Francisco Zoo for renovation.
Rand Richards - Oscar Lewis Award
Rand Richards is a San Francisco historian with three books on San Francisco history to his credit: "Historic San Francisco", "Historic Walks of San Francisco", and "Haunted San Francisco" all three of which are local bestsellers.
Rand has a B.A. degree in History from the University of Minnesota and a MBA degree from San Francisco State University. A native of Silver Spring, Maryland, Rand has lived in San Francisco since 1972.
2004 - 8th Annual Awards Dinner - Friday, August 20, 2004
Market Street Railway Association - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
This volunteer, non-profit preservation organization proudly bears one of the most famous names in San Francisco history. Market Street Railway is the fifth organization involved with street railways to carry the name of San Francisco's main street. It was founded in 1973 by three transit preservations to preserve a vintage Municipal Railway trolley bus that was about to be scrapped.
The efforts of the organization and its members have helped MUNI aquire more than twenty historic transit vehicles. Is volunteers have actively helped restore about fifteeen vintage vehicles, including streetcars, cable cars, trolley coaches and motor coaches. Additional volunteers help keep the streetcars of the F-line sparkling by cleaning them on the line every day. Market Street Railway also cocuments the history of vintage street railway operation in San Francisco through its quarterly newsletter, Inside Track, and through its website, www.streetcar.org.
Jose Sarria a.k.a. The Widow Norton - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
For 30 years, Jose Sarria (a.k.a. The Widow Norton) has led a procession of San Francisco's gay community on a pilgrimage to Woodlawn Cemetery to pay their respects to one San Francisco's famous characters, Emperor Norton. Jose's first staring role in San Francisco goes back to 1947 with the Black Cat Cafe' on Montgomery street, there performing live parody on opera for many years whcich brought him recognition to the City. A activist for gay rights in the early years of the gay rights movement has made him a celebrity amonth the gay communities of the United States and Europe. He was the very first openly gay candidate for political office in United States historyl. He ran for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in the election of 1961, over a decade and a half before Harvey Milk followed in his footsteps and won a seat on the board in 1977.
Charles A. Fracchia - Oscar Lewis Award
A renowned author of many articles and books about the wonderful history of San Francisco is on of Charles Fracchia's love affair with this City. Born and raised in San Francisco and really believes in its history is another feather in his cap.Charles Fracchia was also the driving force in the establishing of The San Francisco Historical Society. A teacher of local history at City College and USF and a trustee of the California Historical Society amonth other organizations keeps Charles a busy man. His main focus these days is realizing a dream come true - to see the Old Mint open as the San Francisco History Museum.
2003 - 7th Annual Awards Dinner - Saturday, July 26, 2003
Kathleen Manning - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
A member of SFHA since 1982, a past Presiden of the Baord, a past Vice-President, current Investment Officer, committee chair of the Grant Program, manager of the monthly meeting refreshment table & raffle, co-chair of the annual Ephemera Sale and many unrecorded projects that have helped keep SFHA where it is today explains who Kathleen is. With a 10 year teaching stint in Michigan and Los Angeles under her belt, Kathleen started a business along with her partner Bill Hall - Prints Old and Rare, located in Pacifica, CA. This year will mark their 32nd year marketing antiquarian books, maps, print & ephemera to a worldwide clientele. In conjunction with Windgate Press of Sausalito, CA Kathleen co-authored a beautiful bound edition of early San Francisco prints from her private collection. Kathleen is devoted to keeping San Francisco's history alive to all the future generations.
Edward Galland Zelinsky - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Ed is a fifth generation San Franciscan, educated in San Francisco and the University of Oregon, and a well-known person among local historians, historical societies and collectores. He is the owner of Main Street Properties in Tiburon, CA, which was named Business of the Year in 1990. A very busy man who is presently producing a documentary film of San Francisco entitled, "History of Early California, 1825-1975". Along with his wife Laleh they founded the Tiburon Children's Film Festival. San Francisco has Ed to thank for the preservation of the Musee Mecanque; one of the world's largest private collections of coin operated mechanical art. The Musee was located under the Cliff House for many years always and brought fond memeories to San Franciscan's and tourists alike.. One of the founders and Board Members of the Museum of the City San Francisco is among Ed's many accomplishments. The Musee has now been re-located at the temporary home of the Museum of the City of San Francisco at Pier 45.
Br. Guire Cleary, S.S.F - Oscar Lewis Award
Br. Guire Cleary is a Franciscan friar of the Episcopal Church, hols a Master's Degree in American History and is the curator of historic Mission San Francisco de Asis (Mission Dolores). Upon his appointment in January 200, Br. Guire became the first Franciscan to serve at Mission Dolores since the departure of the Franciscans in 1846. He has served on the boards of institutions such as the SFHA and the California Mission Studies Association. Much of Br. Guire's scholarship has been dedicated to the history of the Franciscan Order and the California Missions. His writings and programs at Mission Dolores have had a particular emphasis on honoring the Ohlone and other First Peoples who formed the first human community we now call San Francisco. As a result of Br. Guire's research and advocacy, the office of Alcalde (mayor) of Mission San Francisco, first ordered by Governor Felipe de Neve in 1779, was restored to Mission Dolores in 2002 as a way of honoring the Indian townships who held the first democratic elections in Spanish Empire California.
2002 - 6th Annual Awards
Golden Gate Ferry Division - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Donna Ewald Huggins - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Taren Sapienza - Oscar Lewis Award
2001 - 5th Annual Awards
City Guides - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
San Francisco Architectural Heritage Foundation - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Windgate Press - Oscar Lewis Award
2000 - 4th Annual Awards
Walter G. Jebe, Sr. - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Hon. George T. Choppelas - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Carl W. Nolte - Oscar Lewis Award
1999 - 3rd Annual Awards
Mayor Willie L. Brown - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Alessandro Baccari Jr. - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Malcolm E. Barker - Oscar Lewis Award
1998 - 2rd Annual Awards
Dr. Kevin Starr - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Noah Griffin, Daniel Bacon, Jane Bressler - Award of Merit
1997 - 1st Annual Awards
Ron Ross & Gladys Hansen - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Elaine Molinari - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Elfreda J. Menzel & Jane Cryan - Award of Merit