1980
March 29 – Austin, Driskill Hotel
- Carr P. Collins Award for Best Book of Nonfiction ($1,000): Blood Will Tell (Harcourt, 1979), by Gary Cartwright
- Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Book of Fiction ($1,000): Addison (Doubleday, 1979), by Leon Hale *
- Friends of the Dallas Public Library Award for Scholarly Book Making the Most Important Contribution to Human Knowledge ($1,000): The Long Road North (Doubleday, 1979), by John Davidson.
- Stanley Walker Journalism Award ($ ): “Only the Strong Survive” (Texas Monthly, February 1979), by Richard West.
- Short Story Award ($ ): “Eldorado” (Houston City Magazine), by Laura Furman.
- Voertman Poetry Award for Best Book of Poetry ($ ): Different Fleshes (Hobart & William Smith Colleges Press, 1979) by Albert Goldbarth.
* Prize increased to $1,000 this year. Blank award amounts unknown.
1981
April 11-12 – Austin Friday Mountain, former ranch of Walter Prescott Webb, near Austin
- Carr P. Collins Award for Best Book of Nonfiction ($1,000): Life for Death (Doubleday, 1980), by Michael Mewshaw.
- Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Book of Fiction ($1,000): The Glass House (Viking, 1980) by Laura Furman
- Friends of the Dallas Public Library Award for Scholarly Book Making the Most Important Contribution to Human Knowledge ($500): The Guadalupe Mountains of Texas (University of Texas Press, 1980) by Alan Tennant and Michael Allender.
- Stanley Walker Award for Best Work of Journalism ($500): CO-WINNERS – Joel Barma for articles in Houston City and Inbetween magazines Bryan Woolley for columns in The Dallas Times Herald.
- Voertman’s Best Book of Poetry Award ($200): Different Ways to Pray (Breitenbush, 1980) by Naomi Shihab Nye.
- Capitol Printing of Austin Best Short Story Award ($ ): “The Smell in Bertha’s House,” by David Hall.
- Steck-Vaughn Award for Best Children’s Book ($300): No Way of Knowing (Atheneum, 1980), by Myra Livingston.
- Texas Collectors’ Institute Award for Best Book Design ($250): The Guadalupe Mountains of Texas (University of Texas Press, 1980) by Alan Tennant and Michael Allender. Designed by George Lenox.
1982
April 3-4 – near Austin Friday Mountain, former ranch of Walter Prescott Webb, V
- Lon Tinkle Award for Lifetime Achievement in Texas Letters ($1,000): Tom Lea, El Paso (Award provided by Sue and Frank McBee of Austin, though the Austin Community Foundation. First time for the award in honor of former TIL president and longtime Dallas Morning News book critic Lon Tinkle, who died in 1980.)
- Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Book of Fiction ($1,000): Daddy’s Girl (Viking), by Beverly Lowry
- Carr P. Collins Award for Best Book of Nonfiction ($2,500): Bachelorhood Little, Brown), by Phillip Lopate.*
- Friends of the Dallas Public Library Award for Scholarly Book Making the Most Important Contribution to Human Knowledge ($750): The Germ of Laziness (Harvard University Press), by John Ettling.*
- Stanley Walker Award for Best Writing in a Journal ($500): “The Death of a Poet” (D Magazine), by Michael Berryhill.
- Voertman’s Best Book of Poetry Award ($200): Expectations of Light (Princeton University Press), by Pattian Rogers.
- Best Short Story Award ($250): “Work” (Crazy Horse), by Doug Crowell.
- Collectors’ Institute Award for Best Book Design ($100 each to three books) Standard Trade Book –On the Border (Harper & Row, 1981), by Tom Miller. Designed by Sidney Feinberg and Jean Paul. Oversized Book — Fort Bliss: An Illustrated History (Mangan Books, 1981) by Leon Metz. Designed by Frank Mangan. Book Costing Less Than $50 — Texas Folk Art (Texas Monthly Press), by Cecelia Steinfeldt. Designed by Larry Smitherman.**
* Award amounts increased this year.
** First time for three books to win equal amounts. Only time on record for this type of division in book design.
*** Children’s book award was not given this year; sponsor Steck-Vaughn explained that it no longer published children’s library books.
1983
April 8-9 – Austin Friday Mountain, former ranch of Walter Prescott Webb, near Austin James Michener, banquet speaker
- Barbara McCombs/Lon Tinkle Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement in Texas Letters, Funded by Holland McCombs ($1,000): John Graves, GlenRose.
- Carr P. Collins Award for Best Nonfiction ($2,500): The Path to Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson (Alfred A. Knopf), by Robert Caro.
- Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Fiction ($2,500): Love & Other Natural Disasters (Atlantic-Little, Brown), by Allen Hannay.
- * Friends of the Dallas Public Library Award for Scholarly Book Making the Most Important Contribution to Human Knowledge ($1,000): The Mexican Frontier 1821-1846 (University of New Mexico Press), by David J. Weber.
- Stanley Walker Award for Best Writing in a Journal ($500): “The King of the Forest,” (Texas Monthly, August 1982), by Paul Burka.
- Best Children’s/Young Adult Book Award ($400): (Co-Winners) The Once-Upon-A-Time Dragon (Harcourt, 1982), by Jack Ken; IOU’s (Little, Brown, 1982), by Ouida Sebestyen.
- Best Short Story Award ($250): “Landlady,” by Roland Sodowsky.
- Voertman’s Best Book of Poetry Award ($200): (Co-Winners) Hugging the Jukebox (Dutton) by Naomi Shihab Nye; Whomp and Moonshiver (Boa Editions), by Thomas Whitbread.
- Collectors’ Institute Award for Best Book Design ($250): Journey to Pleasant Hill (University of Texas Institute of Texas Cultures). Designed by Barbara and Fred Whitehead.
*Amount of award increased this year.
1984
March 31 – Houston, Shamrock Hotel
- Barbara McCombs/Lon Tinkle Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement in Texas Letters ($1,000): William Owens, Nyack, N.Y.
- * Carr P. Collins Award for Best Work of Nonfiction ($5,000): Short Circuit (Atheneum), by Michael Mewshaw.
- Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction ($2,500): The Decatur Road (St.Martin’s/Marek), by Joe Coomer.
- Friends of the Dallas Public Library Award for the Book Making the Most Important Contribution to Human Knowledge ($1,000): The Assault on Assimilation (University of New Mexico Press), by Lawrence C. Kelly. Children/Young Adults Kent.
- Best Short Story Award ($500): “Curios” (New Mexico Humanities Review), by Tom Zigal.
- Nina Cullinan Memorial Award for Best Book of Poems ($500): Original Light: New and Selected Poems, 1973-1983 (Ontario Review Press), by Albert Goldbarth.
- Stanley Walker Award For Best Example of Journalism ($500): “Where Texas Meets the Sea” (Dallas Times Herald), by Bryan Woolley.
- Collectors’ Institute Award for Best Book Design ($250): Clem Maverick (Shearer Publishing), designed by Barbara and Fred Whitehead.
* Award amount increased this year.
1985
April 13 – San Antonio, Gunter Hotel
- Barbara McCombs/Lon Tinkle Award for Continuing Excellence in Texas Letters ($1,000): Larry McMurtry, Washington D.C. and Archer City, Texas
- Carr P. Collins Award for Best Book of Nonfiction ($5,000): Co-Winners: Evidence of Love (Texas Monthly Press), by Jim Atkinson, John Bloom. Fanny Wright (Harvard University Press), by Celia Morris
- Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Book of Fiction ($2,500): Free Agents (Harper & Row), by Max Apple. Friends of the Dallas Public Library Award for Scholarly Book Making the Most Important Contribution to Knowledge ($1,000): The British Empire in the Middle East (1945-1951), by William Roger Louis.
- * Poetry Award given by Natalie Ornish and the Lowry Family in Memory of Peter Lowry ($1,000): Again for the First Time (Tooth of Time Press), by Rosemary Catacalos.
- ** Best Single Short Story Award given by Library Associates of William A. Blakley Library, University of Dallas ($500): “So Far from the Road, So Long Until Morning” (The Texas Humanist, July-August 1984), by Beverly Lowry.
- Books Inc Award for Best Book for Children/Young Adults ($400): Luke and the Van Zandt County War (TCU Press/Series for Young Children), by Judith Alter.
- Stanley Walker Journalism Award given by The Dallas Morning News and Third Coast Magazine, Austin: Best Nonfiction Writing Involving a Deadline in a Daily Newspaper ($500): “Huck at 100” (Dallas Times Herald), by Jeff Unger.
- **** Best Nonfiction Writing in periodical, magazine or newspaper magazine supplement ($500): Co-Winners: “To Find a Mockingbird: The Search for Harper Lee” (Westward Magazine, Dallas Times Herald), by Drew Jubera, and “The Man Who Dreamed Luckenbach” (Texas Monthly), by John Davidson.
- *** Stanley Marcus Award for Book Design ($350): The Other Texas Frontier (University of Texas Press), edited by Hazel Ransom. Designed by George Lenox.
* New donor, new amount.
** New donor.
*** New donor, new amount.
**** New award.
1986
50th Anniversary Meeting March 22 – Dallas Hall of State, Fair Park Banquet, Hotel Adolphus
- Barbara McCombs/Lon Tinkle Award for Continuing Excellence in Texas Letters, given by Holland McCombs ($1,000): Donald Barthelme, Houston.
- Carr P. Collins Award for Best Book of Nonfiction ($5,000): The Arab World: Personal Encounters (Anchor Press/Doubleday), by Elizabeth Warnock Fernea and Robert A. Fernea.
- Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Book of Fiction ($2,500): Lonesome Dove (Simon & Schuster), by Larry McMurtry.
- Friends of the Dallas Public Library Award for Scholarly Book Making the Most Important Contribution to Knowledge ($1,000): Owen Wister: Chronicler of the West (SMU Press), by Darwin Payne.
- Library Associates, William A. Blakley Library, University of Dallas, Short Story Award ($500): “Mr. Walsh’s Mare” (Southwest Review), by Reginald Gibbons.
- Natalie Ornish Award for Best Book of Poetry ($200): (Co-Winners) – Saints and Strangers (Houghton Mifflin), by Andrew Hudgins; Witching on Hardscrabble (Spoon River Press) by Walter MacDonald.
- Stanley Walker Journalism Awards given by Dallas Morning News ($250 each):
- Best Nonfiction Writing on Deadline in a Daily Newspaper: Woodrow Wilson High School (Dallas) series, by Doug Swanson.
- Best Nonfiction writing in a Periodical or Magazine: “Uncle Dad” (Esquire) by C.W Smith.
- Best Book for Children or Young Adults Award, Texas Institute of Letters, ($400): Sarah, Sissy Weed and the Ships of the Desert (Eakin Press), by Paula G. Paul.
- Stanley Marcus Award for Best Book Design ($350): Dallas Architecture: 1936-1986 (Texas Monthly Press, 1985), by David Dillon and Doug Tomlinson. Designed by Walter Horton.
1987
March 21 – San Antonio, St. Anthony Hotel
- Barbara McCombs/Lon Tinkle Award for Continuing Achievement in Texas Letters, given by Holland McCombs ($1,000): Elmer Kelton, San Angelo.
- Carr P. Collins Award for Best Work of Nonfiction ($5,000): The West of the Imagination (Norton, 1986), by William H. Goetzmann and William N. Goetzmann.
- Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction ($2,500): Veracruz (Harper & Row, 1986), by Rosalind Wright.
- Friends of the Dallas Public Library Award for Scholarly Book Making the Most Important Contribution to Knowledge ($1,000) Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900 (Cambridge University Press, 1986), by Alfred W. Crosby.
- Short Story Award, given by Library Associates of W. A. Blakley Library, University of Dallas ($500): “Inside Dope” (North American Review), by Gail Galloway Adams.
- Poetry Award, given by Natalie Ornish of Dallas ($500): Wild Gratitude (Knopf), by Edward Hirsch.
- Stanley Walker Journalism Award ($250): “Life After Death” (Third Coast) by Brenda Bell.
- Stanley Marcus Award for Best Book Design ($350): The Panoramic Photography of Eugene 0. Goldbeck (University of Texas Press, 1986), by Clyde Burleson and Jessica Hickman. Designed by George Lenox and Omega Clay.
1988
April 9 – Boerne, Guadalupe River Ranch
Special Speaker: Grace Mojtabai, author of Blessed Assurance
- Barbara McCombs/Lon Tinkle (Holland McCombs) Award for Continuing Excellence in Texas Letters ($1,000): A. C. Greene
- * Jesse H. Jones Award (Houston Endowment) for Best Book of Fiction ($6,000): The Perfect Sonya (Viking), by Beverly Lowry.
- Carr P. Collins Award for Best Book of Nonfiction ($5,000): The Year America Discovered Texas: Centennial ‘36 (Texas A&M University Press), by Kenneth B. Ragsdale.
- Friends of the Dallas Public Library Award for Scholarly Book Making the Most Important Contribution to Knowledge ($1,000): Anglos and Mexicans in the Making of Texas, 1836-1986 (University of Texas Press), by David Montejano.
- Soeurette Diehl Fraser/Natalie Ornish Award for Best Book of Poetry ($1,000): The Flying Dutchman (Ohio State University Press), by Walter McDonald.
- * * Brazos Bookstore (Houston) Award for Best Short Story ($500): “Zorro” (The Yale Review), by Steve Barthelme.
- Stanley Walker Journalism Award for Best Nonfiction Writing in a Daily Newspaper ($500): “Texas Fugitives” (Associated Press) by Mike Cochran.
- O. Henry Award (Sue and Frank McBee of Austin) for Best Nonfiction Writing in Magazine or Sunday Supplement ($500): “Can Miami Save Itself?” (New York Times Magazine), by Robert Sherrill.
- Book Publishers of Texas Award for Best Children’s/Young Adult’s Book ($250): Muddy Banks (Texas Christian University Press), by Ruby C. Tolliver.
- Stanley Marcus Award for Best Book Design ($350): Texas Wildflower Portraits (Texas Monthly Press), designed by Walter Horton.
* Award amount increased this year.
** First year given.
1989
April 29 – Austin, Four Seasons Hotel
- Barbara McCombs/Lon Tinkle Award (Holland McCombs) for Continuing Excellence in Texas Letters ($1,000): C.L. Sonnichsen.
- Carr P. Collins Award for Best Work of Nonfiction ($5,000): In the New World: Growing Up with America, 1960-1984 (Knopf), by Lawrence Wright.
- Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction ($6,000): Good Rockin’Tonight (Bantam), by William Hauptman.
- Friends of the Dallas Public Library Award for Scholarly Book Making the Most Important Contribution to Knowledge ($1,000): The Art of the Woman: The Life and Work of Elisabet Ney (University of Nebraska Press), by Emily Fourmy Cutrer.
- Soeurette Diehl Fraser/Natalie Ornish Award for Best Book of Poetry ($1,000) The Hand of God and a Few Bright Flowers (University of Illinois Press), by William Olsen.
- Brazos Bookstore (Houston) Award for Best Short Story ($500): “Moon Walking,” William Hauptman.
- Stanley Walker Award (Sue and Frank McBee of Austin) Award for Best Nonfiction Writing in a Newspaper ($500): “Cult of Terror” (Houston Chronicle), by Evan Moore.
- O. Henry Award (Sue and Frank McBee) for Best Nonfiction Writing in a magazine or Other Periodical ($500) “Voting by Computer” (The New Yorker) by Ronnie Dugger.
- Stanley Marcus Award for Best Book Design ($350): The Song of Things Begun (University of Texas Humanities Research Center) by Harry Hunt Ransom, designed by David Price.
