Judge James R. Knott Historical Contribution Award

Established in 1989, this prestigious annual award recognizes the achievements of an individual or organization that has contributed to the preservation, promotion or enrichment of Palm Beach County history. This contribution should enrich Palm Beach County residents for generations to come.

The award honors and is named for the late Honorable Judge James R. Knott, who served as President of the Society from 1957 to 1969. Judge Knott is fondly remembered as a dedicated historian, and author of the Brown Wrapper newspaper series and three books on the history of our area. The award is presented annually at the Society’s Annual Meeting held in April of each year. Deadline for nominations is March 1 of the year the award.

Guidelines for Nominations:

Who may nominate?
Anyone interested in the history of Palm Beach County may identify an individual or organization that they believe would be appropriate candidates for the award. Nominators may not identify an organization of which they are an officer, member or employee. Nominations must be submitted on forms provided by the Society, anonymous nominations shall not be accepted.

Who is eligible for nominations?
The goal of the Judge James R. Knott Historical Contribution Award is to recognize individuals or organizations for their contributions to the history of our county, those who have worked to preserve, promote or enrich our history for future generations. Individuals must live in Palm Beach County and organizations must serve Palm Beach County.

How many nominees will be honored with the award?
Generally, the award goes annually to a single individual or organization. However, if circumstances warrant, more than one individual or organization may be honored.

Confidentiality
Nominations for the Judge James R. Knott Historical Contribution Award will be made through a public nomination process. Those making nominations should not inform nominees that their names have been submitted for consideration. All nominations remain the confidential property of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County.

Past Honorees

1989   Bessie Wilson Dubois
1990   Barbara Hoffstot
1991   Ambassador Earl E.T. Smith
1992   Mary C. Linehan
1993   Donald W. Curl, Ph.D.
1994   Antonette Dennison, Ph.D.
1995   James A. Ponce
1996   Katharine Dickenson
1997   Frances Bourque
1998   American Methodist Episcopal Church
           Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea
           St. Edwards Catholic Church
           Royal Poinciana Chapel
           St. Paul’s AME Church
           First Presbyterian Church
1999   The Garden Club of Palm Beach
2000   Richard J. Procyk
2001   Eliot Kleinberg
2002   Donald J. Trump
2003   Judge Marvin Mounts
2004   The Palm Beach Post
2005   The Flagler Museum
2006   Yesteryear Village at the South Florida Fair Grounds
2007   Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners

2008 Flagler System, Inc.
2009 Harvey Oyer III

If you would like to submit a nomination, please download an application and submit it directly to the Historical Society of Palm Beach County.

Fannie James Pioneer Achievement Award

Established in 2003, the award recognizes the achievements of individuals or organizations that have significantly contributed to preserving and sharing the history of Palm Beach County’s pioneering days. The award is named for the late Fannie James, a black pioneer who served as the first postmistress of the Jewell Post Office (now Lake Worth), which was open from 1889 until 1903. The winner will be selected from the nominations received, judged for the historical impact, relevance and significance of the contribution, and announced in late April of each year at the Society’s Annual Meeting. Deadline for applications is March 1 of the year of the award.

The inaugural Fannie James Award was presented in 2003 to Laurita Collie Sharpp, granddaughter of one of West Palm Beach’s earliest black settlers, John Collie, and the daughter of one of West Palm Beach’s first black dentists, renowned community leader Dr. Warren Hale Collie. In 2002, Sharpp donated her treasured collection of photographs, diaries and letters, chronicling over a century of her family’s history, to the Historical Society of Palm Beach County. They include her grandmother’s diaries, old photographs depicting West Palm Beach life from the 1890s through the 1940s, and a letter from legendary abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Her donation, the “Collie Collection,” has preserved an integral part of Palm Beach County’s history: a rarely-seen glimpse into the lives of black pioneers who helped shape the landscape of Palm Beach County beginning in the late 19th century.

In 2004 the award was presented to Robert Hazard for his work with the Storm of '28 coalition. The 2005 award was presented to Roy Rood, a native resident of Jupiter and founder of Rood Landscaping for his dedication to sharing the pioneering history of northern Palm Beach County. The 2006 award was presented to the Hofman family of Delray Beach for their book “Letters from Linton”. The 2007 award was presented to Michael Bornstein for his activism in promoting local history and his re-creation of the story of the Barefoor Mailman. The 2008 award was presented to the Ethel Sterling Williams Family for their leadership in building and developing the community of Linton (now Delray Beach).The Royal Poinciana Chapel received the Fannie James award in 2009 for its contribution in preserving and sharing the history of Palm Beach County’s pioneering days through its vision and restoration efforts of the Sea Gull Cottage, the oldest existing house in Palm Beach today.

Past Honorees

2003       Laurita Collie Sharpp
2004       Robert Hazard
2005       Roy Rood
2006       The Adolf Hofman Family
2007       Michael Bornstein
2008       Ethel Sterling Williams Family

2009 The Royal Poinciana Chapel

If you would like to submit a nomination, please download an application and submit it directly to the Historical Society of Palm Beach County.