The Joseph O’Flaherty Teaching Award ($1000) honors creative excellence in the teaching of history in grades K-12 in the schools of Southern California.
While a senior executive of high-tech companies in the post-World War II era, Joseph O’Flaherty was also an amateur historian. After serving as a manager of Hughes Aircraft Semi-Conductor Division in the early 1950s, he founded three successful solid state electronic companies. O’Flaherty was the author of two volumes on the history of southern California. His first book, An End and A Beginning, traces the history of the region from 1850 to 1887, and the second volume, Those Powerful Years, continues the story up to 1917 and the entry of the United States into World War I. O’Flaherty served as President of the Historical Society of Southern California from 1989 to 1991, believing strongly that history is part of the very nature of who we are.
With the exception of the two article awards which will be given in alternating years, and the Fellows Award, the awards for HSSC have been suspended as the organization focuses on supporting the publication of the Southern California Quarterly.
Award Recipients
2018
Carina Garret, Palms Middle School
2017
Sara Quesada, El Monte High School, El Monte Union High School District
Previous Winners (1994-2010)
Dennis Hagen-Smith, Toluca Lake Elementary, Los Angeles
Mark Elinson, Monroe High School, Sepulveda
Susan Anderson, Roosevelt High School
Norm Heldwein, Crescenta Valley High School, La Crescenta
John Ring, La Salle High School, Pasadena
Sandra Kligman, Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School, Northridge
Naomi Calof, Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School, Northridge
Merrell Frankel, Bernardo Middle School, Los Angeles
Aria Metson, Welby Way Magnet School, West Hills
Linwood Thompson, Bellflower High School, Bellflower
Herman Ronald Vanermey, Toll Middle School, Glendale
Helen Booker, Bret Harte Middle School, LAUSC
Phyllis Fick, Ocean View Elementary, Whittier
Virginia Harrington, Arroyo Vista Elementary, South Pasadena
Kathleen Henke, Vail High School, Montebello
Mark Elinson, Monroe High School, Sepulveda
Jerrie Martin, 74th Street School, Los Angeles
Lee Rosenthal, Jefferson Middle School, San Gabriel
Caterina Spiess, Jerry Voorhis Elementary School, El Monte
Marie Altchech, Stoner Elementary School, Culver City
William Coate, Madera Unified School District, Madera
Cynthia Cuevas, Margaret Heath Elementary, Whittier
Ronald Woolsey, Bishop Amat Memorial High, La Puente
