Mary K. Bonsteel Tachau (1926-1990) taught in the Department of History from 1958 to 1990, and was its chair from 1974 to 1977. She was a specialist in U.S. constitutional history, and her book Federal Courts in the Early Republic: Kentucky, 1789-1816 (1978) won the Governor’s Award of the Kentucky Historical Society. Besides teaching, research, and service, Professor Tachau was committed to social reform and social justice. She is especially remembered for her passionate struggles on behalf of feminist causes and for continually working against policies that denied women equal pay and opportunities for promotion. She described her specialties as constitutional history and "rocking the boat." Since 1991, the Department has commemorated Professor Tachau with the Mary K. Bonsteel Tachau Award for Excellence in History. Each year the Award goes to the graduating senior History major with the highest academic achievement, who may well go on to do some boat-rocking. The winners of the Mary K. Bonsteel Tachau Award are:

• 1991   Wendell L. Brown

• 1992   Thomas M. Edelen

• 1993   Rachel Maxine Podgursky

• 1994    Chadwick Dushane Montrie

• 1995    Shelly Henson Simpson

• 1996    Kristen Anne Johnson

• 1997    Abigail Freedman

• 1998    Jerry A. Hall

• 1999    Floyd Lamar Allen

• 2000   Donald C. Caughey

• 2001   Heather J. Hubbard  

• 2002   Anne Reeves
• 2003   Christopher S. Kenner
• 2004   Gwen Krupinski
• 2005    Erik R. Glowark
• 2006    Bradley R. Palmer
• 2007    Jana M. Leichty
• 2008    Rebecca Bennett
• 2009    Jennifer L. Cady