Pacyga is the fifth winner of the $25,000 Pattis Award.
CHICAGO, July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Newberry Library and The Pattis Family Foundation are pleased to announce the winner of the annual Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award, which celebrates works that transform public understanding of Chicago, its history, and its people. This year's award recognizes Dominic A. Pacyga's Clout City: The Rise and Fall of the Chicago Political Machine (University of Chicago Press, 2025), which traces the origins of Chicago's distinctive political system to its eventual collapse.
"Dominic Pacyga's book exemplifies a work that furthers readers' understanding of Chicago," said Astrida Orle Tantillo, President and Librarian of the Newberry. "Pacyga takes a deep look into the mechanics of Chicago's political world dating to 1870 and all of its many complexities. It's an engaging story of how the city came to be what it is today."
Pacyga is professor emeritus of history in the Department of Humanities, History, and Social Sciences at Columbia College Chicago. He is the author of several books, including, most recently, American Warsaw: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Polish Chicago, also from the University of Chicago Press. Pacyga grew up in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood and matriculated at the University of Illinois Chicago, where he earned a BA in 1971, an MA in 1973, and a PhD in 1981. Pacyga is also curator of the Packingtown Museum in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood.
"I am honored to receive the Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award at the Newberry Library," Pacyga said. "It is a great tribute to be recognized by the foundation and by the Newberry Library with whom I have had a long and ongoing relationship. The Newberry proved vital for my early success as an historian and has continued to provide me with an important base for my work. Both the Pattis Family Foundation and the Newberry Library are dedicated to the study of what Norman Mailer called 'the great American City,' Chicago."
In addition to honoring Pacyga, who will receive a $25,000 prize, the juried panel also recognizes scholar Gayle F. Wald, author of This Is Rhythm: Ella Jenkins, Children's Music, and the Long Civil Rights Movement (University of Chicago Press, 2025). Wald will receive an award of $2,500. Wald is professor of American Studies at George Washington University.
Lisa Pattis of The Pattis Family Foundation commented: "Dominic Pacyga's Clout City is a wonderful addition to the list of books that have been recognized since we established the Chicago Book Award. We also want to thank the selection committee for their thoughtful review of the nominated books and their energetic engagement in the selection of the winner and runner-up. Since this award was created, outstanding books related to Chicago's history, architecture, and neighborhoods have been recognized, each of which illuminates the rich mosaic and diversity of the city."
In addition to honoring Pacyga, the selection panel also recognizes Gayle F. Wald's book, This Is Rhythm: Ella Jenkins, Children's Music, and the Long Civil Rights Movement (University of Chicago Press, 2025). Wald, who is professor of American Studies at George Washington University, will receive an award of $2,500.
The Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award is open to writers working in a variety of genres, including history, biography, social sciences, poetry, drama, graphic novels, and fiction—all relating to Chicago. Previous awardees include: Scott A. Berg, The Burning of the World: The Great Chicago Fire and the War for a City's Soul (2025); Thomas Leslie, Chicago Skyscrapers 1934-1986: How Technology, Politics, Finance, & Race Reshaped the City (2024); Toya Wolfe, Last Summer on State Street (2023); and Dawn Turner, Three Girls from Bronzeville (2022).
The presentation of the 2026 Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award will take place at a free public event at the Newberry Library on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 1-3pm, where both honorees will be recognized and speak about their work. More details about the event will be made available at www.newberry.org soon.
About the Newberry
The Newberry Library is an independent research library located in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood that has been free and open to the public since 1887. The Newberry curates curiosity for all by inspiring research and learning in the humanities and encouraging conversations about ideas that matter to diverse audiences. Our mission is rooted in a growing and accessible collection of rare and historical materials that spans millennia of human experience. To learn more, visit www.newberry.org.
About The Pattis Family Foundation
With a history originating from book and magazine publishing, The Pattis Family Foundation of Highland Park, Illinois actively supports programs that elevate the value of the written word and intellectual inquiry. In addition to The Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award with The Newberry Library, The Pattis Family Foundation Global Cities Award is awarded annually in association with Metropolis in Barcelona, Spain and The Pattis Family Creative Arts Book Award is awarded each year with Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, Michigan. The Pattis Family Foundation also supports various health, educational, and cultural initiatives as well as programs that help bridge the opportunity gap for talented students with limited financial resources.
Media Contact
Bob Dolgan, Newberry Library, 1 3122553676, [email protected], www.newberry.org
SOURCE Newberry Library
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