2018 Recipients: 20th Annual Awards
Sandy Cavallaro — Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Sandy Cavallaro attended her first SFHA meeting the week she moved to San Francisco in January of 1995. In 1999, she began a 20-year tenure as Secretary of the organization, establishing its online presence, managing audio/video and tech support, and stamping and labelling thousands of postcards. She is also known as “The Ron Whisperer.” Despite the presence of a few gray hairs, she happily remains the SFHA's youngest board member at the time of her retirement.
Anchor Brewing Company — Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Company is one of America’s oldest breweries, with an extraordinary heritage dating to the California Gold Rush. In 1965, Fritz Maytag rescued the struggling brewery from bankruptcy, at a time when mass-produced, mass-marketed beer completely dominated the American brewing landscape. Together, Maytag and Anchor ignited a revolution that paved the way for today’s craft-beer movement. Anchor Brewing and its original Anchor Steam Beer — Anchor’s flagship brand since 1896 — are San Francisco treasures and world classics.
Kristine Poggioli & Carolyn Eidson — Oscar Lewis Award
San Francisco’s 49 Mile Scenic Drive was born in 1938 when the world was invited to visit San Francisco for the 1939–40 Golden Gate International Exposition and think about doing business here. Kristine Poggioli and Carolyn Eidson walked the entire route over one year, researched the history along each mile of the drive, and turned their adventure into a turn-by-turn guidebook, Walking San Francisco's 49 Mile Scenic Drive, filled with the quirky, unknown history they uncovered on the way.
The Tenderloin Museum — Walter Jebe Sr. Neighborhood Award
The Tenderloin Museum celebrates the rich history of one of San Francisco's most overlooked neighborhoods. Through history exhibitions, resident-led walking tours, community programs, and the presentation of original artwork, the Tenderloin Museum invites all comers to learn about the roots of our dynamic neighborhood, and reclaim our city's past and future. The 31 blocks of the Tenderloin District are a microcosm of San Francisco, peopled by immigrants and iconoclasts, artists and activists, sinners and saints.
2017 19th Annual Awards — 50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love - 35th Anniversary of the SFHA
Imperial Court of San Francisco - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Nick Bovis - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Paul Drexler- Oscar Lewis Award
Dr. David E. Smith - Walter Jebe, Sr. Neighborhood Award
2016 - 18th Annual Awards
The Emperor's Bridge Campaign - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Max Kirkeberg - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Paul Madonna - Oscar Lewis Award
Glen Park Neighborhoods History Project - Walter Jebe, Sr. Neighborhood Award
2015 - 17th Annual Awards
Mr. Gary Kamiya - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Mr. Emmitt Watson - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Ms. Laura Ackley - Oscar Lewis Award
Western Neighborhoods Project - Walter Jebe, Sr. Neighborhood Award
2014 - 16th Annual Awards
Mr. Gary Kurutz - devotion and work for the Sutro Library - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Mr. John Martini - historian - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Ms. Amy Meyer - author - Oscar Lewis Award
Mr. Paul Kozakiewicz - editor and publisher of the Richmond Review and the Sunset Beacon - Walter Jebe, Sr. Neighborhood Award
2013 - 15th Annual Awards
San Francisco Recreation and Parks - restoration of the Murphy Windmill - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Campaign to Save the Golden Gate Windmills - restoration of the Murphy Windmill - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Mr. Paul Rosenberg - historian- Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Mr. Richard Reinhardt - author - Oscar Lewis Award
Visitacion Valley History Project - archive and research about Visitacion Valley - Walter Jebe, Sr. Neighborhood Award
2012 - SFHA celebrated our 30th Anniversary!
The Maybeck Foundation - restoration of the Palace of Fine Arts - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Marilyn Blaisdell - SF photo books - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Dr. Gray Brechin - architectural historian, columnist and TV producer - Oscar Lewis Award
Bernal History Project - archive and research about Bernal Heights - Walter Jebe, Sr. Neighborhood Award
2010 - 13th Annual Awards photo album
San Francisco Parks Trust - restoration of the Conservatory of Flowers - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Prelinger Library - SF history archive - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Lee Houskeeper - April 18, 1906 commemoration - Oscar Lewis Award
Ed Byberg - historian at The Presidio - Walter Jebe, Sr. Neighborhood Award
2009 - 12th Annual Awards photo album
Wells Fargo History Museum – SF and CA history archive & museum - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Bob Bowen - author - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Kevin Mullen - author - Oscar Lewis Award
Potrero Hill Archives – neighborhood archive - Walter Jebe, Sr. Neighborhood Award
2008 - 11th Annual Awards photo album
The San Francisco Arts Commission - preserving the Portals of the Past in Golden Gate Park - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library – SF history archive - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Heyday Books – publisher of SF and CA history books - Oscar Lewis Award
John Gaul – historian at Haas-Lilienthal House - Walter Jebe, Sr. Neighborhood Award
2007 - SFHA 25th Anniversary Celebration
2006 - 10th Annual Awards Dinner
San Francisco Fire Department Historical Society – 1906 Earthquake and Fire 100 year Expo and preserving the artifacts and history of the SFFD - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Kit Haskell – SFHA program chair for 9 years - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Arcadia Publishing – published over 30 history books of SF neighborhoods and local interest - Oscar Lewis Award
Lorri Ungaretti – authored neighborhood history books on the Sunset and the Richmond Districts - Walter Jebe , Sr. Neighborhood Award
2005 - 9th Annual Awards Dinner
The Victorian Alliance of San Francisco – preservation and restoration of Victorian an other historic structures - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Woody LaBounty – author and co-founded the Western Neighborhoods Project - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Rand Richards - author - Oscar Lewis Award
2004 - 8th Annual Awards
Market Street Railway Association – preservation of vintage street railway cars - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Jose Sarria a.k.a. The Widow Norton - leads processions to pay respects to SF history character and activist for gay rights - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Charles A. Fracchia - author and founder of The San Francisco Historical Society. - Oscar Lewis Award
2003 - 7th Annual Awards
Kathleen Manning – author and preservationist - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Edward Galland Zelinsky - preservation of the Musee Mecanque - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Br. Guire Cleary, S.S.F - Mission Dolores historian and author - Oscar Lewis Award
2002 - 6th Annual Awards
Golden Gate Ferry Division – 1906 Earthquake and Fire survivors commemorative ferry rides - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Donna Ewald Huggins – Panama Pacific International Exposition historian - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Taren Sapienza – 1906 Earthquake and Fire commemoration and celebration - Oscar Lewis Award
2001 - 5th Annual Awards
City Guides – preservation and history education - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
San Francisco Architectural Heritage Foundation – Haas-Lilenthal House - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Windgate Press – publishers of SF history books - Oscar Lewis Award
2000 - 4th Annual Awards
Walter G. Jebe, Sr. – historian - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Hon. George T. Choppelas – Judge Court of Historical Review - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Carl W. Nolte – SF Chronicle Columist reporting SF history preservation efforts - Oscar Lewis Award
1999 - 3rd Annual Awards
Mayor Willie L. Brown – City Hall restoration - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Alessandro Baccari Jr. – author and historian - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Malcolm E. Barker - author - Oscar Lewis Award
1998 - 2rd Annual Awards
Dr. Kevin Starr- author and historian - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Noah Griffin - historian - Award of Merit
Daniel Bacon – author and founder of Barbary Coast Trail - Award of Merit
Jane Bressler - SFHA program coordinator - Award of Merit
1997 - 1st Annual Awards
Ron Ross – founder of the San Francisco History Association - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Gladys Hansen – archivist - Ron Ross Founder’s Award
Elaine Molinari – Beach Chalet preservation - Dr. Albert Shumate Memorial Award
Elfreda J. Menzel - founding member and financial officer for the SFHA - Award of Merit
Jane Cryan – 1906 refugee shack preservation - Award of Merit