Honor Societies
The Phi Beta Kappa Society
We are proud to recognize our majors who were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's most prestigious college honors society, in 2008. Congratulations to Robyn Elizabeth Adams, Matthew Adam Crennan, Susan Kathryn Eckman, Andrew Richard Hand, William Andrew Horton, Jr., Korin McKenzie Knight, James Hampton Maners, Megan Elizabeth McMahon, and Elizabeth Marie Peaks.
Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta is the national honor society for history majors. To be eligible, a student must hold a 3.0 overall GPR and maintain a 3.4 in history courses. Students become eligible once they complete 12 credit hours in history. Please contact the chapter adviser, Professor Burns, for more information.
Prizes and Awards
Each year the Department of History and Geography recognizes the outstanding achievements of its students by awarding the following prizes:
- The Carl Lafayette Epting History Essay Award is given for the best paper written by an undergraduate in a history course. In 2009, the prize was awarded to Samuel Perry Gervais.
- The William Shannon Morrison Prize is given to the graduating senior with the most outstanding record in historical studies. The winner in 2009 was Davis L. Acker.
- The R. Glen Ayers Jr. Award is given to the best rising senior among history majors, based on grade point average, course distribution, and written work. The winner in 2009 was Anna G. Gillespie.
- The Silver Bowl Award of the South Carolina State Society of the Daughters of the American Colonists is given to the History major who has excelled the study of History as well as in other areas of the liberal arts. In 2009, the prize was awarded to Bethany E. Moore.
- The Rand-McNally Prize in Geography is given to the student who has excelled in the study of geography. In 2009, the prize was awarded to Andrew A. Edwards.
Departmental Honors
In conjunction with the Calhoun Honors College, the department offers the opportunity for some of its majors to graduate with honors. The process begins with a student selecting an advisor -- usually in the senior year -- and ends with the writing of an honors thesis under that advisor's direction. For more information, contact the Calhoun Honors College or talk to your undergraduate advisor.
Recent Honors Theses:
- Korin Knight, Swinging into the War: The Lost Musical Climate of the Depression and Second World War, 2008. (Advisor: Richard L. Saunders Jr.).
- Megan Elizabeth McMahon, William Davis Gallagher: Bard of the West, 2007. (Advisor: Paul Christopher Anderson).