The David B. Gracy, II Award

SGA awards a $350 prize that recognizes a superior contribution for each issue of Provenance.  The award began in 1990 with Volume VIII and is judged by the Editorial Board. For more detailed information about the award, please visit the SGA Administrative Handbook.

Named for David B. Gracy II, an early leader of the Society of Georgia Archivists. Dr. Gracy came to Georgia in 1971 as Archivist for Georgia State University’s Southern Labor and University Archives, a department he helped to cultivate to its current status as one of the leading collections of organized labor history in the South. During his six years in Georgia, Dr. Gracy made a tremendous impact on the archives profession: he was instrumental in establishing the Southern Labor Studies Conference; was appointed by Governor George Busbee to serve on the 1976 State Historical Records Advisory Board of Georgia; served as the third President of this organization from 1972-1974; was founding editor of Provenance (then Georgia Archive); and for twelve years taught “Introduction to Archival Enterprise” at the Georgia Archives Institute. Following his time in Georgia, Dr. Gracy went on to become Director of Archives at Texas Tech and State Archivist of Texas. He served as President of the Society of American Archivists, the Academy of Certified Archivists, and Austin Archivists. He was also a Fellow of the Texas State Historical Society and President of the Austin Chapter of the Association of Records Managers and Administrators. Dr. Gracy passed away on September 26, 2020 in Austin, Texas. The Society of Georgia Archivists is grateful to Dr. Gracy for his crucial early work in support of the Society and is deeply saddened by the loss of such a powerful force in the archives profession. We invite you to read our complete Statement on the Passing of Dr. David B. Gracy II. 

In 2020, the Society of Georgia Archivists and Provenance editorial boards presented an additional prize: the David B. Gracy, II Legacy Award. This one-time $500 prize serves as a tribute to Dr. Gracy's extraordinary impact by honoring a article with enduring relevance to the field.  Library and archives educators from across the country provided feedback as part of the selection process. 

Pictured to the right is David B. Gracy II, the keynote speaker at SGA's 40th Anniversary Celebration and Conference in Savannah, Georgia. Image taken by James Yancey, Jr.

Recipients: