This year the award is being given to a very talented duo.  One is a history professor; the other a Spanish professor.  For the many papers they have presented at CMSA conferences over the years, they are best remembered as a team.  I was told it would be inappropriate to award one of them an award without equally awarding the other.  

You cannot talk to any authority in the field of Spanish-Mexican Period of California History who do not mention the new ground broken by this team.  They have broken so much new ground it seems every authority points to a different one of their many accomplishments.  

    One person emphasized about our two that they broke new ground by moving beyond stereotyping padres and seeing them as individuals each with their own personality.  They analyzed the problems inexperienced Dominicans faced in Baja California, as well as tensions among the Franciscans.

    Other people emphasize the Bolet’n, a unique scholarly publication of the highest quality.  I can remember when the idea for the Bolet’n was presented to the CMSA Board at the Santa Cruz conference in 2003, and within two years CMSA had a new first-rate publication.

    Other authorities emphasize their California the Land of Promise and Despair.  This book provided a book of reading on the Spanish and Mexican Periods of California History, a period previously relatively neglected by California historians.

    Still others are impressed by the fact their works are not simply translations but are always augmented with extensive commentary and annotations that provide insightful historical context for the reader.

    Others look at their list of major works:

The History of Alta California: A Memoir of Mexican California by Antonio Mar’a Osio, 1996

California the Land of Promise and Despair:  Chronicles of Early California 1815-1848, 2001


Guide to Manuscripts Concerning Baja California in the Collection of the Bancroft Library, 2002

Testimonios:  Early California through the Eyes of Women, 1815-1848, scheduled to be published by Heyday Press this year

Four major works in a decade!

    As if this is not enough, in 1997, Rose Marie organized CMSA's Conference in Loreto, Baja California Norte.  In addition, Rose Marie served as President of the CMSA, during which, in 2002, she and Bob organized a second conference in Mexico, this time in La Paz, Baja California Sur, an excellent conference attended by members and scholars from both sides of the border.  As professors at Santa Clara University the pair mentors students, graciously devote time to comment on the manuscripts of professional colleagues, and find time to build bridges with scholars with different perspectives in other disciplines and nations.


    Absolutely everyone that knows their work comments on their unbelievable energy!!  --Bill Fairbanks


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