The Jack D. Rittenhouse Award nominations are made by PubWest members, voted upon by the Board of Directors, and presented each year at the annual conference. Nominations may be made by emailing executivedirector@pubwest.org. The deadline for nominations for the 2010 award is August 2, 2010.

The PubWest Board of Directors is pleased to announce the selection of
Charles (Chuck) S. Hutchinson, Jr.
as the recipient of the 2009 Jack D. Rittenhouse Award.


 Betsy Hutchinson, Chuck Hutchinson, Amy Rinehart (front)
Todd Berger and Rick Rundall (back)

Press Release Download: 2009 Award Winner Chuck Hutchinson

The Rittenhouse Award was established in 1990 as a way to say “thank you” and to honor those who have made a real contribution to the western community of the book. The Award is given annually at our conference luncheon in memory of Jack D. Rittenhouse, the West’s consummate bookman. During his long career, Rittenhouse was a writer, bookseller, publisher, lecturer, and mentor. In short, he left a lasting mark on this community of the book in the West, both in his work and with the people who followed behind him. In publishing circles, Rittenhouse was known as the final authority on books of the West, particularly those dealing with the Southwest region of the United States.

2009 Jack D. Rittenhouse Award recipient Chuck Hutchinson (left) talks with 2007 recipient Gibbs Smith at the PubWest Awards Luncheon. (11/09)

Prior Winners of this award are:

1991 Jene and Jetta Lyon
1992 Fred Pruett
1993 David Flaccus
1994 Dwight and Carol Myers
1995 in memory of Gordon Saull
1996 Tom Auer
1997 Joyce Meskis
1998 Tony Hillerman
1999 Katharine J. McCanna
2000 Lisa Knudsen
2001 Robert C. Baron
2002 Mary Powell
2003 Frederick A. Praeger (posthumously)
2004 Dick and Judy Noyes
2005 Elizabeth A. Geiser
2006 Linda Ligon
2007 Gibbs Smith
2008 Richard E. Abel