Special Initiative: John F. Richards Book Prize

Dear Friends of CAORC,

As you know, we lost our dear friend and former CAORC Chairman John Richards in 2007. We have the opportunity to honor him through contributing to a book prize in his name being established by the American Historical Association. Please see the letter below from Deborah Jakubs and Bruce Lawrence describing the prize. I hope you will join me in remembering John by supporting this excellent initiative.

Thank you,

Mary Ellen Lane
CAORC Executive Director


June 24, 2010

Dear colleagues:

Many of you know that we have been working to create the Richards Book Prize in memory of our late colleague, Professor John F. Richards. We are grateful to any of you who have already contributed to help this initiative succeed.

John was a highly regarded historian of South Asia and the early modern world, as well as world and environmental history. But he also worked tirelessly for the Duke University Libraries and beyond Duke for the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC), the American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS), the American Institute of Pakistan Studies (AIPS), and the newly created American Institute of Afghan Studies (AIAS), whose headquarters he located at Duke during his final years here.

We have been thrilled that John’s many contributions to the historical discipline led him to be recognized as a natural choice for the South Asia caucus of the American Historical Association when it launched a campaign to create an endowment for a South Asia book prize. Professor Sumit Guha of Rutgers and a distinguished cadre of Asianists have committed significant time and effort to try to reach the $50,000 endowment goal needed to create the prize.

As of 18 March 2010, we have received actual contributions, or pledges to contribute, totaling $23,425. That figure reflects the generosity of 50 individuals who have donated $21,925 as well as a pledge of $1,500 from the Sidney Stern Memorial Trust.

Please join us in remembering John and honoring his legacy through this prize. We would welcome pledges or checks in any amount. Please help us spread the word. If you have not yet done so, or if you can add to your prior contribution in the new calendar year, please make a check out to “American Historical Association” with “Richards Prize” in the Memo line. Send your contribution to:

AHA Richards Prize Fund
P.O. Box 532, Metuchen Post Office
Metuchen, New Jersey 08840, USA
This is a time-sensitive request. We need to have money pledged or in hand by 1 December 2010, since our goal is to be able to announce the prize at the close of Barbara Metcalf’s one-year term as President of the American Historical Association in January 2011.


Thank you for your generosity.

Sincerely,

Deborah Jakubs
Rita DiGiallonardo Holloway University Librarian
Vice Provost for Library Affairs
Adjunct Associate Professor of History
Duke University


Bruce Lawrence
Professor of Islamic Studies
Nancy and Jeffrey Marcus Humanities Professor
Duke University