Home >> Awards >> 2003 Lifetime Achievement Award
The John Whitmer Historical Association has recently instituted an annual
Lifetime Achievement Award, which is to go to someone who has epitomized the
qualities we most value: --One who has made a significant contribution to the
field though a large body of work, characterized by sound scholarship A person
whose interests and research are not confined to a narrow field One who has
encouraged others to engage in historical research, and A person who has shared
his or her information and sources unselfishly.
Richard P. Howard, Recipient of the 2003 JWHA Lifetime Achievement Award |
Last year we gave our
first annual Lifetime Achievement Award. The committee determined that we would
not limit the award to the living, and thus it was no surprise that the first
recipient was Leonard Arrington, a great historian and a wonderful human being.
We also consider those who are still breathing to be eligible for the award, and
this year the committee also did not have a difficult choice.
Our recipient is not only alive and well, he continues to make a significant
contribution to the Community of Christ in many ways. I will end your suspense
and announce that Richard P. Howard is the recipient of our Second Annual
Lifetime Achievement Award. It can be said that one of the reasons for the "RLDS
Reformation" of the 1960s was the fact that many of the departments of the
church began to be led by professionals. As Bill Knapp pointed out in a Whitmer
journal article, the Religious Education Department in the early 1960s was
professionalized. Certainly Herald House took on a more professional approach
when Roger Yarrington became managing editor in 1960. And also, the History
Department when Dick Howard in 1965 became the first professionally trained
Church Historian, having earned a masters degree in history from the University
of California at Berkeley.
As Church Historian Dick published four books
that are very important in the historical literature of the church.
Restoration Scriptures: A Study of Their Textual Development, received
the Mormon History Association's Best Book award for 1969, and was reviewed in
the Christian Century. In 1991 Dick published The Church Through the Years,
Volume 1: RLDS Beginnings, to 1860. One year later he published The
Church Through the Years, Volume 2: The Reorganization Comes of Age,
1860-1992. Dick's two-volume history of the church, along with Paul Edwards'
one-volume history published in 1991, provided interested readers with two
professional histories to replace Inez Smith Davis' 1934 apologetic Story of the
Church.
At about the time of his retirement Dick published a second
edition of Restoration Scriptures: A Study of Their Textual Development,
which was significantly revised and enlarged. Certainly one of Dick's major
contributions to the Community of Christ has been in the area of the history and
theology of the Latter Day Saint scriptures. He also published articles in
several journals on "The Book of Abraham," a scripture not in the Community of
Christ (RLDS) canon.
Dick published countless articles in the various
historical journals, as well as the Saints' Herald. His 1983 John Whitmer
Journal paper on polygamy was itself a historic event in the church. Although
Dick has been Church Historian Emeritus for eight years, he has continued to
teach courses in history and scripture, first in the M.A.R. program and now for
the Community of Christ Seminary.
During most of the years Dick was
Church Historian his wife Barbara was an editor at Herald House, where she, too,
made a significant contribution to the church.
The two have co-authored
two hymns cudrrently in use in the Community of Christ - "Now in This Moment"
(in the 1981 hymnal, Hymns of the Saints)) and "We're Singing a Peace Song," (in
the more recent short hymnal, Sing for Peace). Dick also revised a stanza of "A
Charge to Keep" for the 1981 hymnal. [Apparently the words Charles Wesley chose
weren't good enough!] .
Dick and Barbara are both Evangelists and have
shared their gifts widely in this calling
The John Whitmer Historical
Association was born at a meeting at the Howard's home in Independence in
thirty-one years ago. Our Associaton owes a great debt to our dear friend who
has blessed us with his historical research and his friendship for these many
years. We joyfully present to Dick Howard our annual Lifetime Achievement
Award.
— Bill Russell
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