Carla Rahn Phillips Receives Prestigious Spanish History Prize
On October 11, 2024, King Felipe VI of Spain presented The Spanish Orders History Prize (Premio de Órdenes Españolas) to Dr. Carla Rahn Phillips, Union Pacific Professor Emerita in Comparative Early Modern History. This international award was created in 2017 by the current members of Spain’s noble military orders of Santiago, Calatrava, Alcántara and Montesa, which were founded in the Middle Ages. The prize is currently considered by universities around the world as the most important recognition in the science of History, and the main international benchmark in this discipline.
The Prize was created to extol the value of History and of researchers from any part of the world who have dedicated their careers to its study. Previous recipients were Sir John H. Elliott (UK), Miguel Angel Ladero Quesada (Spain), Enrique Krause (Mexico), Carmen Iglesias (Spain), and Giovanni Muto (Italy).
The citation praised Phillips as “the archetype of the Hispanist who, as a rigorous scholar and engaging writer, armed with the tools of research, exactitude, and enviable style, has brought to light over the past half century rich and varied aspects of our civilization.” It noted particularly her attention to sailors and seafarers “not as novelistic heroes but rather as real-life men.” The selection committee also highlighted her mentorship of hundreds of students during her career.
Phillips was a member of the History Department at the University of Minnesota from 1972 until her retirement in 2013, specializing in Spanish history with a focus on economy, society, and the maritime world. In addition to dozens of articles, she published seven books during her distinguished career, three co-authored with Professor William D. Phillips. Two won the “Leo Gershoy Prize” from the American Historical Association: Six Galleons for the King of Spain (1987) and Spain’s Golden Fleece (1998). Another won the “Award for Excellence in World History” from the American Association of Publishers: The Treasure of the San José (2008).
The ceremony this year took place in the palace of El Pardo, a beautiful setting on the outskirts of Madrid. The Premio de Órdenes Españolas was not the first time that Phillips has been honored in Spain. In 2005, she was elected to the Royal Academy of History as a corresponding member, and in 2008 she was awarded an encomienda (commandery) in the Royal Order of Isabel the Catholic, a knighthood that recognizes extraordinary contributions to international cooperation between Spain and other countries.
