Limerick honored with Bonfils-Stanton Award

Limerick

Patricia Limerick, professor of history and faculty director and chair of the board of the Center of the American West at the University of Colorado Boulder, has been honored with a Bonfils-Stanton Award. The annual awards recognize outstanding Coloradans for contributions made to enhance the quality of life for residents of Colorado in the fields of art and humanities, community service, science and medicine.

Limerick, who won the art and humanities award, is a celebrated scholar and prominent author, co-founded the Center of the American West in 1986. Under her leadership, the center has published books on compelling Western issues and received national recognition as a forum for exploration of important and often contentious public issues.

Limerick’s understanding of the American West as a place formed by distinct ethnic, political and environmental factors has led to a profound reinterpretation of Western American history. She has explored how the West’s vast federal lands, boom-and-bust economy, and diverse ethnic groups have defined its unique history. By challenging the prevailing view that Western American history ended with the frontier, she reveals the many connections between the past and issues facing America today.

Honored with the community service award was Robert “Bob” Tointon, an accomplished business leader, community builder, champion for educational quality, and philanthropist. The science and medicine award was given to Temple Grandin, animal scientist, professor at Colorado State University, best-selling author and respected consultant to the national and international livestock industry.