Awards are in four categories:

The Award of Distinction; recognizes a special project, such as publications, building preservation, or special programming, including a conference, heritage event, lecture series, or other.

History in the Media Award is presented to someone in the field of television, radio, newspaper, magazine, Internet for outstanding contributions to the promotion of our region’s history.

Teaching Excellence Award is for outstanding or innovative teaching of history at any level, grade one through adult education.


The Society’s most prestigious recognition is the Ramsey Award for Lifetime Achievement. This award is reserved for one who, over the course of a lifetime, has made outstanding contributions to the understanding and preservation of East Tennessee history. It is named for ETHS founder and early historian, Dr. J.G.M. Ramsey, author of The Annals of East Tennessee to the End of the Eighteenth Century.

For more information about the History Awards Program please call ETHS at 865-215-8824.