The Bealer Award

Alex Bealer’s favorite tool was not a hammer but a froe, and when he had his fatal heart attack he was indeed using a froe to split shingles, one of his favorite pastimes.

The Alex Bealer Award is the most significant and prestigious award given by ABANA.

The purpose of the award is to honor the recipient for “service to the field of blacksmithing.” This covers a broad range and is not only service to ABANA, though that would not be discouraged by any means, but serves to keep Alex Bealer’s name alive in the blacksmithing world. The award is given when the ABANA Board of Directors deems it appropriate and the Board follows the committee’s recommendations of awarding it once a year although the Board could present the award more or less often

The committee looks for people who have served in the field of blacksmithing and made a significant impact and contribution in the field of blacksmithing.  The recipient should show a quasi-historical perspective to see how the field has progressed, grown, and developed, due to the recipient. It is not awarded to the most popular person in the field on a given year, nor is the award even something someone can try to “win.” The award is earned and time is the key to showing who the candidates should be.

The ABANA awards committee chair will request nominations from the last five living Bealer Award recipients. Each past winner should nominate one potential recipient. The Bealer award committee will pick 1 from the 5 and that person will receive the award.  The award recipient is then approved by the Board of Directors.  If the award is determined before a conference year, they will be presented at the conference. If not, each non-conference years’ award will try to be awarded at a function where the recipient will be present.  The awards are then announced in The Anvil’s Ring.  The committee and the ABANA Board of Directors will keep the award secret until the award can be given at a blacksmithing event, in order to surprise the recipient.