As a sociologist on the faculty of North Dakota State University, Fr. William Sherman has thoroughly researched the ethnic origins of North Dakotans. His documentation, through authorship of Prairie Mosaic: An Ethnic Atlas of Rural North Dakota and editorship of and contributions to Plains Folk: North Dakota’s Ethnic History, has provided a comprehensive basis for our understanding of the ethnic settlement of our state. As parish pastor at St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, Fr. Sherman has overseen the restoration of the interior to its historic grandeur and has been responsible for placing the church on the National Register of Historic Places. The Grand Forks Historic Preservation Commission is honored to present the 1993 Alexander Griggs Award to Fr. William C. Sherman in recognition of his many and varied contributions to the history of Grand Forks and North Dakota.