Donehoo Essay Award
This award was named in honor of the first President of the IAAO, John C. Donehoo, and is presented to the author of the best essay on assessment, property tax administration, or policy. The submitted essay must be on a topic, written in a style, and of a length suitable for publication in the Journal of Property Tax Assessment & Administration..
| Year | Recipient | City |
| 2009 | David McMullen | Lebanon, NH |
| John Lifflander | Ridgefield, WA | |
| 2008 | Scott Noble | Seattle, WA |
| John Lifflander | Ridgefield, WA | |
| 2007 | Richard Norejko, CMS | Asheville, NC |
| Morgan B. Gilreath, Jr. | De Land, FL | |
| 2006 | Robert M. Boley, AAS | Concord, NH |
| William Banfield & Steven French | New York, NY | |
| 2005 | Panagiotis Zentelis | Athens, Greece |
| Tassos Labropoulos | Athens, Greece | |
| Richard Henry Carlson | Boston, MA | |
| Joe Hunt, CAE, MAI | Chapel Hill, NC | |
| 2004 | David E. Cypress, CAE | Nashville, TN |
| C. Kevin Bokoske | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | |
| 2003 | Rick Stuart, CAE | Topeka, KS |
| Heather J. Reichardt | Washington, DC | |
| David C. Lennhoff, MAI | Washington, DC | |
| 2002 | William J. McCluskey | United Kingdom |
| Francis A.S. Plimmer | United Kingdom | |
| Owen P. Conellan | United Kingdom | |
| Nancy Tomberlin | Topeka, KS | |
| 2001 | Richard H. Hoffman, CAE | Findlay, OH |
| Jude T. Hammond, AAS | Sandusky, OH | |
| Richard Almy | La Grange, IL | |
| John W. Hoover, Jr., CPA | Green Cove Springs, FL | |
| 2000 | Terry Strickland, CAE | Mims, FL |
| 1999 | Alan Dornfest, AAS | Boise, ID |
| 1998 | Wayne Ballweg, CAE | Reedsburg, WI |
| 1997 | Joseph E. Hunt, CAE | Chapel Hill, NC |
| 1996 | Thomas A. Jaconetty | Chicago, IL |
| 1995 | Thomas J. May | Minneapolis, MN |
| Robert H. Hanscom, RES | Minneapolis, MN | |
| 1994 | Texas State Comptroller Oim McMillan | |
| 1993 | Jeffery Spelman, CAE | Edmond, OK |
| 1992 | Phillip Kenyon | Wichita, KS |
| 1991 | Mark Linne, CAE | Denver, CO |
| Edward J. Pecesky, CAE | Denver, CO | |
| 1990 | Cyril R. Smith | Frankfort, KY |
| 1989 | none given | |
| 1988 | Jeffery Spelman, RES | Oklahoma City, OK |
| 1987 | none given | |
| 1986 | John Melton | Charleston, WV |
| 1985 | Donald R. Beach, CAE | Las Vegas, NV |
| 1984 | Donald R. Beach, CAE | Las Vegas, NV |
| 1983 | none given | |
| 1982 | none given | |
| 1981 | Wilburn Ricketts | Chattanooga, TN |
| David Harding | Chattanooga, TN | |
| Michael L. Austin, RES (2nd place) | Bath, ME | |
| 1980 | John F. Cunningham | Watertown, SD |
| Leon L. Madsen, CAE (2nd Place) | Fridley, MN | |
| 1979 | William S. Carman, Sr. CAE | Nashville, TN |
| 1978 | Donald R. Beach, CAE | Washington, DC |
| 1977 | Donald R. Beach, CAE | Washington, DC |
| George W. Gipe (2nd Place) | Redwood City, CA | |
| 1976 | colspan="2">Local Government Relations Division of the West Virginia Tax Department | |
| 1975 | Kenneth Johnson | Tacoma, WA |
| Scott R. Peebles (2nd Place) | Tacoma, WA | |
| 1974 | George W. Gipe | Redwood, CA |
| Kathleen Haney | Tacoma, WA | |
| 1973 | James Rominger | Hillsboro, OR |
| Arnold Tchira (2nd Place) | Los Angeles, CA | |
| Isidro Delgado (2nd Place) | Los Angeles, CA | |
| 1972 | Jack M. Large | Ft. Lauderdale, FL |
| 1971 | Doris K. Seward | Los Angeles, CA |
| Thomas P. Garrity | Wilkes-Barre, PA | |
| 1970 | Harry J. Manning | Canberra, Australia |
| David Moss (2nd Place) | Mason, MI | |
| 1969 | John Carl Brogdon | Los Angeles, CA |
| Jerold F. Janata (2nd Place) | Fair Lawn, NJ | |
| 1968 | Charles S. McNulty, CAE | Roanoke, VA |
| Robert J. Flanagan, CAE | New London, CT | |
| Herbert Welder, Jr. (Honorable Mention) | Honolulu, HI | |
| Stanley Ooka, CAE (Honorable Mention) | Honolulu, HI | |
| 1967 | Robert H. McSwain, CAE | Montgomery, AL |
| John A. Bruhn (2nd Place) | San Diego, CA | |
| Jack B. Rackham | Washington ,DC | |
| 1966 | Edward L. Bartlett | Concord, NH |
| E. D. Ballard (2nd Place) | Frankfort, KY | |
| 1965 | Robert C. Mason | Los Angeles, CA |
| Charles L. Malone, CAE | Houston, TX | |
| 1964 | Charles R. Bartlett, CAE | Dallas, TX |
| 1963 | John B. Dyke | Perth Amboy, NJ |
| 1962 | John J. Carney, CAE | Cleveland, OH |
| 1961 | Pierre Dalcourt, CAE | Montreal PQ |
| 1960 | John McQuilken | Chicago, IL |
| 1959 | John H. Keith, CAE | Sacramento, CA |
| 1958 | Harry Logan | Salem, OR |
| 1957 | Richard A. Cherney, CAE | Battle Creek, MI |
| 1956 | Robert L. Miller, CAE | Milwaukee, WI |
| 1955 | none given | |
| 1954 | none given | |
| 1953 | Leonard B. Krueger | Madison, WI |