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October 6, 2003
News from the
Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society
405 Oakland Ave.
Pontiac, MI 48342
For more information: Charles Martinez, (248) 338-6732

‘Asylum’ wins Historical Society of Michigan’s top publishing award

Pontiac, Mich. – A book by Bruce J. Annett Jr. is the unanimous choice to receive the Historical Society of Michigan’s top publishing award, the Award of Merit.

Annett’s book, “Asylum: Pontiac’s Grand Monument from the Gilded Age,” is a comprehensive study of the huge state hospital that opened in 1878 and its affect on the early growth of Pontiac and Oakland County.

The Award of Merit is the highest honor presented by the state's official historical society and oldest cultural organization, and recognizes excellence and achievement in the collection, preservation, and promotion of state and local history.

Annett received the award at the Historical Society of Michigan’s 129th State History Conference held in Port Huron on Oct. 3. He is executive director of marketing and public affairs at Lawrence Technological University.

The book retails for $24.95, and is available directly from its publisher, the Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society, 405 Oakland Ave., Pontiac, (248) 338-6732, or it can be ordered on-line at www.bbmck.com.

Annett spent three years researching and writing the book, which includes over 150 rare historic images. The book tells how, a generation before Oakland County became synonymous with automobile manufacturing, attracting the state hospital began to transform the area from its rural roots. Designed by one of the most prolific and accomplished architects of the 19th century, the hospital was a city within a city, imbued with the optimism and exuberance of an America celebrating its centennial.

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