Every year the RIAS presents the Theodore Roosevelt American History Award (TRAHA) for the best Master’s thesis written by a graduate student at a Dutch university on an American history topic.
Sponsored by the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, the American Embassy in The Hague, and the Province of Zeeland, the TRAHA is designed to stimulate the study of United States history and culture. The award also encourages students to use the unique RIAS archival resources.
Since the establishment of the award in 1987 (called the Lawrence J. Saunders Award from 1987-1994 and from 1995 the TRAHA) the Dutch universities with American History / American Studies, or History programs (Amsterdam, Groningen, Leiden, Nijmegen, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Maastricht) have nominated over 300 Master’s theses for the Award.
TRAHA winners not only receive eternal fame and the good graces of American history scholars throughout the country, but they are also sent packing on a week-long trip to the Badlands, to Medora and Dickinson in North Dakota, where they are provided an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of TR during his “cowboy years.” A visit to a special conference on TR at the TR Center of Dickinson State University is also included in the program this year, a special treat.
Award winners
Check out all the TRAHA winners here.
For more information about the Theodore Roosevelt American History Award, click here.
