April 2018 | New Orleans, Louisiana The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC) and the Louisiana Historical Association (LHA) are proud to announce Urmi Engineer Willoughby’s “Yellow Fever, Race, and Ecology in Nineteenth-Century New Orleans” (Louisiana State University Press, 2017) as the winner of the 2017 Kemper and Leila Williams Prize in Louisiana History.

Through the innovative perspective of environment and culture, Willoughby examines yellow fever in New Orleans from 1796 to 1905. Linking local epidemics to the city’s place in the Atlantic world, “Yellow Fever, Race, and Ecology in Nineteenth-Century New Orleans” analyzes how incidences of and responses to the disease grew out of an environment shaped by sugar production, slavery and urban development.

Willoughby is an assistant professor of history at Murray State University in Kentucky, where she studies the history of disease and medicine from a global and ecological perspective. A graduate of Wake Forest University, she also holds a PhD from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

The hardback book, which retails for $45, is available for purchase at The Shop at The Collection, 533 Royal St. in New Orleans, www.hnoc.org/shop or (504) 598-7147.

The Kemper and Leila Williams Prize, named for the founders of The Historic New Orleans Collection, is offered annually by THNOC and the LHA. Since its inception in 1974, the prize has recognized excellence in research and writing on Louisiana history. Recipients receive a cash award of $1,500 and a plaque and are announced at the LHA’s annual meeting each year. The organization held its 60th annual meeting April 12–15 in New Orleans.

A list of past Williams Prize recipients and the application information for next year’s prize are available through THNOC’s website. Eligible works must explore an aspect of Louisiana history and culture or place Louisiana subjects in a regional, national or international context. The deadline for 2018 Williams Prize submissions is January 15, 2019.

About the Louisiana Historical Association
The Louisiana Historical Association was founded on April 11, 1889, for the purpose of collecting and disseminating historical information on Louisiana, a goal which remains the primary mission of the association. The LHA has attracted both academics and non-academic members over the years and strives to maintain an even balance between the two groups. Since 1960, the LHA has published the quarterly journal Louisiana History, which consistently ranked as one of the top state-level historical journals in the country.

About The Historic New Orleans Collection
Founded in 1966, The Historic New Orleans Collection is a museum, research center and publisher dedicated to the study and preservation of the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South region. For more information, visit www.hnoc.org, call (504) 523-4662, or follow THNOC on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Media Contacts: 
Anna Grundmann LeDonne, Gambel Communications
(504) 324-4242| anna@gambelpr.com
Anne M. Robichaux, The Historic New Orleans Collection
(504) 598-7137 | anner@hnoc.org