Elizabeth Oliver, associate dean of the Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics and Lewis Whitaker Adams Professor in Commerce at Washington and Lee University, has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Accounting Historians Journal Award of Excellence.
Oliver is sharing the award, formerly known as the Best Paper Award, with co-authors Gary Peters of the University of Arkansas, Sandra Richtermeyer of Rutgers University, Ann Watkins of Texas State University and Craig White of the University of New Mexico, for their article, “The Federation of Schools of Accountancy: Its Brief History, Its Lasting Influence,” which appeared in the December 2025 issue of the Accounting Historians Journal.
The award is to be presented to Oliver and her co-authors at the 2026 AAA annual meeting held Aug. 2 in Las Vegas, Nev.
Oliver said receiving the award “is a true honor. This work was very much a collaborative effort. I was privileged to work alongside members of two accounting organizations that merged, gathering and analyzing original source materials as we worked to preserve a record of the organization’s history and achievements. I am excited to be able to attend the meeting in August along with my co-authors to receive this award.”
Oliver has been a member of the W&L faculty since 1991, serving as associate dean of the Williams School since 2018 – a role she also held from 1998-2003. From 2003 to 2018, she led the accounting department, teaching courses in financial accounting, accounting research and corporate social responsibility while also launching and coordinating the W&L London Internship Program. Additionally, Oliver served as interim provost during the 2020–2021 academic year.
