06/23/2026

Maurine H. Beasley, Ph.D., Receives the 2026 Lewis L. Gould Award, FLARE’s Top Honor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Maurine H. Beasley, Ph.D., is the 2026 recipient of the Lewis L. Gould Award. She is Professor Emerita of Journalism at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland, College Park. She is known for her research on Eleanor Roosevelt and for her studies on the history of women in journalism, including Eleanor
Roosevelt.

The annual award, presented by FLARE, recognizes distinguished contributions to the field of first lady research and education and a commitment to excellence while furthering the study of U.S. first ladies. This is FLARE’s 6th presentation of the Gould Award since its inception five years ago, in 2021. Previous award winners include Lewis L. Gould, Anita McBride, Catherine Allgor, Ph.D., Allida Black, Ph. D., and Holly C. Shulman, Ph.D.

Dr. Beasley acknowledged Lewis Gould’s mentorship in receiving her award. “I so appreciate this award in honor of Professor Lewis Gould, whose inspiration has drawn many of us to research the lives and legacies of first ladies.  His stature as an acclaimed academic opened doors to the study of first ladies as an integral part of American history, not just a footnote.  Due to him, what once was seen as trivial is now seen as important.  Many thanks to the committee, including Nancy Kegan Smith, Catherine Allgor, and Holly C. Shulman, who nominated me for this award.”
   
Dr. Beasley has a long and distinguished career in promoting research and education on the lasting legacies of America’s first ladies.  She is the author of Eleanor Roosevelt: Transformative First Lady, which was a selection of the History Book Club and the Eleanor Roosevelt Encyclopedia, co-edited with Dr. Holly Shulman, Ph.D., FLARE’s 2025 Gould Award recipient, and Henry R. Beasley. The encyclopedia was named one of the outstanding reference books of the year in 2001 by Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association. Her most recent work on Eleanor Roosevelt will appear in the Global Journal of Human-Social Science later this year. As a journalist, Dr. Beasley was the education editor of The Kansas City Star and a staff writer for The Washington Post.

OTHER QUOTES:

Diana B. Carlin, Ph.D., President of FLARE: “FLARE members owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Dr. Lewis L. Gould and the other pioneers in first ladies research and education, such as Maurine Beasley and other Gould Award winners, and early first-ladies scholars who promoted first-ladies studies despite resistance. Without their determination, those of us who followed would not have the multiple outlets for our scholarship and education activities. Dr. Beasley’s research was instrumental in introducing the importance of first ladies in our nation’s history.”

Catherine Allgor, Ph.D., 2023 Gould Recipient and Chair of the Gould Selection Committee: “As FLARE celebrates the fifth anniversary of its founding, it is important to remember those who paved the way for first ladies studies to be taken seriously in the academy. Maurine Beasley was truly a pioneer. She was lucky enough to have Lewis Gould as her mentor, and she extended his work out to the world and to generations of students. How fitting that she be the latest recipient of the Lewis Gould Prize.”

The Lewis L. Gould Award is named for Lewis L. Gould, the author and historian who pioneered the scholarly study of America’s first ladies 40 years ago. He developed the nation’s first course on presidential spouses and has authored more than a dozen books. Professor Gould encouraged and inspired a generation of scholars and others to conduct research and has served as a guiding light for FLARE. The award presentation can be viewed on the FLARE YouTube Channel: FLARE Five-Year Retrospective and 2026 Lewis L Gould Award Ceremony.

About FLARE: The mission of FLARE is to create and sustain a network to promote and publicize research and education about the contributions, lives, impact, and lasting legacy of U.S. first ladies. FLARE’s 5th anniversary was celebrated on June 21, 2026.