The First Ladies Association for Research and Education (FLARE) is seeking nominations for the 2026 Lewis L. Gould Award. This year's committee is chaired by the 2023 recipient, Catherine Allgor, and is composed of Thomas Balcerski, Anita McBride (2022 Gould Awardee), and Christopher Leahy. 

The Gould Award honors a FLARE member with a long and distinguished career that includes significant contributions to scholarship and education on first ladies. All members of FLARE are eligible for nomination except for those serving on the Gould Award Committee.

Nomination letters should persuasively address the following:

• The quality, academic rigor, and influence of the nominee’s scholarship and publications;
• The impact of the nominee’s public communication and educational activities;
• The nominee’s fostering of additional knowledge about first ladies through teaching, institutional, or public service (broadly construed); and
• The influence and creativity of the nominee’s work or educational activities on other scholars, researchers, and/or the public.

Because the disciplinary specialization and area of focus of nominees may vary broadly, the Gould Award Committee members recognize that not all of the criteria may be relevant in every case.

Please email all applications to Catherine Allgor by May 27, 2026, at callgor12@gmail.com.