We are proud to announce that the Agricultural History Society’s 2022 Gladys Baker Award has been given to Dr. Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, Distinguished Professor of History. The award recognizes lifetime achievement in the field of agricultural history. It is named for Gladys Baker, who was born in rural Iowa in 1910 and educated at the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago, where she earned a doctorate in Political Science. Dr. Baker worked for the USDA and became head of the USDA’s War Records Department when it was created in 1942. She was an expert in agricultural policy and history and worked in the Agricultural and Rural History section and its successor agencies.
The 2022 Award specifically recognizes the work Prof. Riney-Kehrberg has performed to perpetuate and improve the field of agricultural history by training many agricultural historians. It also recognizes her impressive scholarship. Her six books and dozens of articles consistently emphasize the importance of studying rural life and labor. The Baker Award also acknowledges her service to the Agricultural History Society, including her roles as past president and vice president of the society, a member of the executive and numerous standing and prize committees.