Celebrate history preservation and those who uphold it!
Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 4 p.m. at the Denver Central Library
The Eleanor Gehres Award began in 1999 in honor of Eleanor Gehres, who served as head of the Western History Department for over 25 years. She bolstered the Denver Public Library’s archives and historical artifacts, all with the goal of serving the public.
Denver Public Library’s Special Collections and Archives are remarkable for their deep and extensive records of Denver communities (small and large) and the greater American West. The collections are prized nationwide, and its archives and resources are accessible to anyone in the community thanks to the efforts of Eleanor Gehres.
Each year, the Eleanor Gehres Award honors history advocates, individuals, or organizations who support the library’s historic preservation efforts. The celebratory ceremony is free and open to all in the community. Learn more about this year's celebration here!
The 2026 Eleanor Gehres Award will be presented to People of the Sacred Land!
People of the Sacred Land are dedicated to preserving the history of underrepresented American Indian communities, including their cultures, languages, and ways of life. Through its extraordinary research and careful capturing of Native perspectives, they deepen an understanding of American Indian communities by making its efforts publicly accessible to Denver.
Over the last couple of years, the organization developed the Truth, Restoration, and Education Commission (TREC) reports and conducted the Historic Economic Loss Assessment. These efforts collected fragmented historical accounts, government documents, and archives that will shape public education while uncovering gaps that have long gone untold in the telling of Colorado’s history. Thanks to People of the Sacred Land, these finds will enrich historical collections such as the Denver Public Library’s Special Collections and Archives and paint a more accurate picture of all communities that call Colorado home.
Previous Eleanor Gehres Award Recipients
- 2025 Kevin Beaty
- 2024 Robert S. Pulcipher
- 2023 David Duffield
- 2022 Jim Kroll
- 2019 Magdelena Gallegos
- 2018 Dick Kreck
- 2017 Iris Agard Hawkins
- 2016 Randall Weeks
- 2015 Patty Limerick
- 2014 Sandra Dallas
- 2013 Robert C. Baron
- 2012 Marilyn Amer
- 2011 Thomas J. Noel
- 2010 The Colorado Railroad Museum
- 2009 Deborah A. Wadsworth
- 2008 Kay Wisnia
- 2007 Philip J. Panum
- 2006 Wesley A. Brown
- 2005 National Association of the 10th Mountain Division
- 2004 Barbara Walton
- 2003 Virginia and Bruce Rockwell
- 2002 Carolyn and Don Etter
- 2001 The Vida Ellison Trust: Francis & William Griffith and Jack Griffith, Trustees
- 2000 Glenn R. Scott
- 1999 Eleanor M. Gehres