Leo Schelbert Award 
in Swiss and/or Swiss-North American History

The Swiss American Historical Society (SAHS) announces an annual call for papers for the Leo Schelbert Award. Each calendar year, the SAHS will give one award for the best submitted paper from an undergraduate or graduate student. 

The topic for the paper is open, so long as it relates to Swiss and/or Swiss-North American history (includes Canada) and increases an understanding in one or both of these areas, fitting into the larger mission of SAHS. You are welcome to submit a paper that you wrote for a course, again, so long as it ties into Swiss and/or Swiss-North American history.

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​Dr. Leo Schelbert was an historian and professor emeritus at the University of Illinois–Chicago who died in 2022 at age 93. Dr. Schelbert was born in Kaltbrunn, Canton St. Gallen in 1929. He got his PhD from Columbia University and taught at the University of Illinois–Chicago from 1971–2003. Dr. Schelbert focused on Swiss emigration history, writing several books and an encyclopedia about Switzerland. Over five decades, he served as SAHS President (1975–1980) and was otherwise involved with publications as Editor-in-Chief, Co-Editor of the SAHS Review, and member of the editorial board for book publications. A great mentor and friend to many, he helped to ensure that the Swiss American Historical Society would grow and endure for years to come. 

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The Leo Schelbert Award is made possible thanks to the generous donation of $10,000 by the late Dr. Donald G. Tritt. The award is funded until it dries up, or if other individuals or organizations donate to it. SAHS would love to make this an endowed award to continue to support young historians for decades. If you are interested in giving toward it, please contact an officer or send an email to: swissamericanhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.​

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Guidelines:

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• The paper must be a minimum of 10 and maximum of 25 pages, typed, double-spaced.

• All submissions must be properly formatted and cited with footnotes, following the Chicago Manual of Style.

• Only complete papers, which include an introduction, footnotes, conclusion, and bibliography will be considered.

• Papers without citations will not be accepted for review.

• Papers must not have been previously published.

• Papers must be submitted by June 1st for consideration.

• Submissions must be in either Microsoft Word, a pdf file, or shared as a Google Doc.

• Submissions must be in English.

All submissions will be reviewed by a committee of the SAHS, and you will be notified by the end of July as to your status. As of 2024, the recipient of the Leo Schelbert Award receives the following:

• $500 if American / CAD 720 if Canadian / CHF 500 if Swiss

• Your paper published as an article in the SAHS Review

• One year complimentary SAHS membership

• An invitation to attend and present your paper at the annual meeting of the Swiss American Historical Society U.S. or Swiss Chapter (depending on where you live)

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We welcome all participants and encourage submissions on or before the annual June 1st deadline. Please direct questions and submissions to Prof. Robert Sherwood, Professor of History, Georgia Military College and Coordinator for the Leo Schelbert Award – rsherwoo@gmc.edu.

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AWARD RECIPIENTS

2015​

James T. Lindberg

History major, Franklin University, Lugano, Canton Ticino, Switzerland

Mapping the State: Cartographic Representations of Switzerland, 1530-1865

Megan Armknecht

History Graduate Student, Oxford University, United Kingdom

How Louisa May Alcott's 1870 Visit to Switzerland Helped Her Become a "Literary Lion"

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2017

Fabian Waldegger

University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, Georgia

The Swiss in Colonial America and Their Impact on Society

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2022  

Maria Ott

History major, Benedictine College, Atchison, Kansas

Political Procrastination: Swiss Neutrality and World War II

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2024

Tobias Frick

Graduate Student, University of Zurich, Switzerland

On the Linguistic History of the Swiss Amish in Indiana

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Years with no awardee we did not receive submissions, or did not receive submissions we found suitable to give the award to.

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One Page Handout About the Leo Schelbert Award