June 8

2017 Baldridge Prize Winner Announced

Congratulations to Prof. Ned Bertz, whose book Diaspora and Nation in the Indian Ocean: Transnational Histories of Race and Urban Space in Tanzania, has received the 2017 Kenneth W. Baldridge Prize! This prize is awarded for the best book in any field of history written by a Hawaiʻi resident, and consists of a merit certificate and a cash award of $500.

From the call for nominations:

“The prize competition honors the life and work of Kenneth W. Baldridge, longtime professor of history at BYU-Hawaiʻi. Now retired, Dr. Baldridge remains an enthusiastic supporter of BYU-Hawaiʻi’s Phi Alpha Theta chapter. He also founded the BYU-Hawaiʻi Oral History Program and served as chair of the university’s Division of Social Sciences. In addition to being an exemplary educator, Ken is a first-rate human being.  Whenever there was flooding on the North Shore, he could be seen roaring around in his four-wheel-drive pickup, dressed in helmet, waders and yellow slicker, piling up sandbags and moving people to higher ground, as a volunteer with the Oahu Civil Defense Agency. Having moved to the mainland, he is much beloved and fondly remembered by colleagues, his former students and the community of Lāʻie, who join in honoring his contributions to the study of history.”