Gordon Bakken Award of Merit

The Gordon Bakken Award of Merit is given for outstanding service to the field of western history and to the Western History Association. Named after Gordon M. Bakken (1942-2014), a distinguished legal historian and longtime WHA member, this award recognizes WHA members who have made significant contributions to the field through their scholarship, teaching, service, and dedication to western history. To be considered for this award, a WHA member must be nominated through a letter sent to the Award of Merit Committee explaining why the individual deserves recognition. Winners receive a prize certificate and recognition at the Western History Association's annual meeting. The award honors the legacy of Gordon Bakken, who served the WHA for three decades and was known for his generous mentorship, extensive scholarship on legal history and women's history in the American West, and caring approach to teaching. Recipients join a distinguished group of scholars who have received this honor since 1976, representing the best in western historical scholarship and service to the profession.