Heinz History Center wins S.K. Stevens Award
The Pennsylvania Historical Association secured a PA Museums Institutional Award of Merit as part of our 2023 Special Achievement Awards, and PA Museums is also recognizing Senator John Heinz History Center with an S.K. Stevens Award for its exhibition on American Democracy.
The Pennsylvania Historical Association (PHA), which publishes the quarterly journal Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies, produced a special theme issue for the Summer of 2022 (Vol. 89.3) on “Exploring Disability History in Pennsylvania.”
The Guest Editor was Dr. Dennis Downey, Emeritus of Millersburg University. It features thirteen articles by fourteen authors on the history and treatment of people with intellectual disabilities in the Commonwealth. The issue broke new ground on an under- researched topic, and, according to Professor Randall Miller of St. Joseph’s University, “gives us historical perspective, keys to important archival collections, examples of historical studies, personal accounts, and relevant book reviews.” The issue is designed to assist academics and the general public alike in helping them understand the history of people with disabilities in the state. We hope that this issue will serve as a model for other state history organizations to research and disseminate information regarding their own citizens with intellectual disabilities. The issue is more than just a typical academic journal with traditional historical presentations. It breaks out of that mold and offers the history of people with disabilities as an encouragement for the public to advocate for their rights. It does that by offering first person oral histories of patients at state institutions; excerpts from patient records, and other documents. The result is an exposé of appalling conditions as it draws from poignant, moving, sad, and heart-rending materials. In the end it offers uplifting hope as it discusses various organizations currently fighting for patient rights. This is not just aimed at an academic audience, but the general public. It also features a striking triumphal cover image of the dedication of the state historical marker for Pennhurst in 2010, honoring the institution and the milestone US Supreme Court case which led to its closure.
The idea for the special issue arose from sessions at the 2015 and 2021 annual meetings of PHA. Linda Ries, the editor of Pennsylvania History, conferred with the sessions’ chair, Dennis Downey, about turning the presentations into a special issue. In addition to a print version, the entire issue is available electronically on ProjectMuse and the Scholarly Publishing Collective. The PHA has also made one article available for free download on its website. Also on the same webpage, and available for free viewing, PHA hosted a virtual roundtable zoom session about the issue on October 3, 2022 with Guest Editor Downey and authors Elliott Simon and Tyler Stump, where they discussed their articles and the importance of this groundbreaking research. It is also available on Youtube.
PA Museums is pleased to announce that the Senator John Heinz History Center is the recipient of an S.K. Stevens Award. The award is given to organizations that have received both an American Association for State and Local History Leadership in History Award and a PA Museums Institutional Award in the previous year.
The History Center is being recognized for its exceptional exhibition, American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith, which ran from March 13 to October 10, 2021. The exhibit explored the history of the United States government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." Developed in partnership with the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), this exhibition provided historical context for recent events that have challenged the nation's democracy.
The American Democracy exhibit featured rare artifacts, interactive displays, and immersive design that showcased the history of voting, protesting, and political engagement from the nation's formation to the present day. Visitors explored Pittsburgh's role in shaping democracy, including events such as the Whiskey Rebellion, African American and women's suffrage, the civil rights movement, and more.
The exhibit featured several notable artifacts, including a Pennsylvania land grant signed by Benjamin Franklin, a travel desk that belonged to George Washington, and more than 15 artifacts from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, including a replica of Thomas Jefferson's writing desk. The exhibition also highlighted powerful objects of politics and protest, including a banner carried by University of Pittsburgh students during the famous "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom" in 1963.
The American Democracy exhibition is a key component of the History Center's America 101 initiative, which aims to empower citizens with knowledge about the country's founding and history. By 2026, the initiative aims to ensure that citizens in Western Pennsylvania and beyond are more knowledgeable about American history and able to pass the history and civics portion of the U.S. citizenship test.
PA Museums is proud to recognize the Senator John Heinz History Center's American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith with an S.K. Stevens Award.
For more information, please visit the History Center's website.