Suzanne Fuller Wins National Award for History Project
The Sioux Falls project documents women's experiences with adversity and systemic challenges.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Women’s Issues
Live Poll
Do you feel local history projects are sufficiently recognized and supported in your community?
Suzanne Fuller has received a national award for her women's history project based at Augustana University. The initiative preserves stories of women who overcame various life obstacles.
Why it matters
Fuller launched the project after enduring pressure to resign from her journalism job due to her pregnancy, highlighting the historical barriers women have faced in the workplace.
The Osher national office nominated 90 programs from across the country for the annual prize. Of those submissions, only six programs were selected to receive the national award.
The players
Suzanne Fuller
She is the founder of a women's history project through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute who previously worked as a journalist.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
This educational organization provides lifelong learning opportunities for adults and oversees a national office that manages program awards.
Augustana University
Located in Sioux Falls, this institution hosts the Center for Western Studies where the project archives are maintained.
The details
The project collects and archives personal narratives from women who navigated challenges throughout the 1970s and 80s. These materials are stored in a dedicated file at the Center for Western Studies at Augustana University in Sioux Falls.
Timeline
The project documents challenges experienced by women during the 1970s and 80s.
The award recognition was announced on October 21, 2026.
Culture Shift
The project provides a localized repository of oral histories that directly reflect and preserve the era of historical workplace discrimination documented in the 1970s and 80s. This effort represents a broader societal shift toward documenting marginalized voices through formal academic archives.
Residents can access these historical archives at the Center for Western Studies to learn more about the challenges women faced in past decades. The project serves as a community resource for preserving local narratives that might otherwise be lost to history.
The takeaway
Preserving individual life stories is essential for understanding how systemic barriers have evolved over time. These archives serve as a reminder of the progress made since the 1970s while underscoring the importance of documenting lived experiences for future generations.
Further reading
For additional context on local efforts, visit the Women’s Issues section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KELO-LAND TV.
Live Poll
Do you feel local history projects are sufficiently recognized and supported in your community?
