To honor Leo J. Friis and James J. Friis, both past presidents of the Orange County Historical Society and founders of a book publishing business which specialized in Orange County history, the OCHS has established the Friis-Pioneer Press Award. This award recognizes the research and writing of Orange County history by high school and college students and encourages original research that contributes to the appreciation of Orange County’s history and heritage. The author of the winning article will receive a $500 cash award, and the article will be published in Orange Countiana, the Orange County Historical Society’s annual journal.
Articles may be on any aspect of the history of Orange County. They must be the original work of the applicant and previously unpublished. Entries for each year’s award are accepted between January 1 and February 28 of that year. Articles will be judged on historical accuracy, originality, and style by an Awards committee consisting of the editor of Orange Countiana and two members selected by the Board of Directors of the Orange County Historical Society. An application can be downloaded here. Further information is available from the Award Chairman Harriet Friis.
For more than half a century, Friis-Pioneer Press published some of the finest books on the history of Orange County, California. Founded in 1957 by historian and attorney Leo J. Friis and his son, James J. Friis, Friis-Pioneer Press focused on local and family history. Among the many titles published were Orange County through Four Centuries, David Hewes: More than the Golden Spike; When Anaheim was 21, Campo Aleman, all by Leo J. Friis; several books on the history of Garden Grove by Dr. Leroy Doig; The Ranchos of Don Pacifico Ontiveros, by Virginia Carpenter; Westminster Colony, California 1869-1879, by Ivana Bollman; Centennial Cookbook 1889-1989, by the Orange County Pioneer Council; and The Olive Mill: Orange County’s Pioneer Industry, by Wayne Gibson. Some of these may still be available through the Society. Contact John Sorenson, Treasurer/Sales, for more information.
Download application