Vassar College historian, James H. Merrell, wins his second Bancroft Prize

James H. Merrell, professor of history at Vassar College and a Poughkeepsie resident, has won his second Bancroft Prize for the book "Into the American Woods: Negotiators on the Pennsylvania Frontier."

Merrell's first book, "The Indians New World: Catawbas and Their Neighbors from European Contact Through the Era of Removal," previously won the Frederick Jackson Turner Award and the Merle Curti Award from the Organization of American Historians as well as the Bancroft Prize.

Bancroft Prizes have been awarded annually by Columbia University since 1948. It marks the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a work published in American history, diplomacy, and international affairs.

Merrell, a Poughkeepsie resident and a native of Minnesota, studied at Lawrence University and Oxford University before receiving his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1982. Before coming to Vassar in 1984, he was a fellow at the Newberry Library Center for the History of the American Indian in Chicago, and the Institute of Early American History and Culture in Williamsburg, Virginia. He has also received fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Merrell's teaching and research interests are in early American history (up to 1830), particularly the Indian experience in colonial times.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations or information on accessibility should contact Campus Activities Office at (845) 437-5370. Without sufficient notice, appropriate space and/or assistance may not be available.

Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861.

This article was posted on Monday, April 17th, 2000.