Awards and Honors
Departmental Awards
Distinction in History
Students with a 3.6 G.P.A. or higher will be considered for Distinction in History. In order to be considered, students must submit their HY420 thesis on time. Senior thesis materials will be reviewed for extraordinary scholarship, unique and nuanced approaches to research, strong critical thinking and analysis, exemplary writing, and the overall intellectual quality of the piece. Secondary to the thesis, the department may also consider factors including departmental citizenship and service, GPA, and academic growth.
Students do not need to submit additional materials to be considered. Distinction is announced at the Commencement Ceremony.
William R. Hochman Prize for Distinguished Student Research & Writing in History
This award was established to honor the late Professor William R. Hochman of the Department of History. It supports an annual award for a student or students whose senior thesis best represents Bill's advocacy of fresh critical approaches to sources and lucid written argument. Professor Hochman was a vital member of the CC community for over six decades and was the chair of the History Department for many years. He pushed his students to tackle the key issues of the time: the balances and battles between individual freedom and religious, social, and political authority.
Every year the History Department faculty award the William R. Hochman Prize for a Senior Thesis that demonstrates superior historical scholarship. Faculty nominate Senior Theses for consideration and evaluate them in Block 8. The William R. Hochman Prize is awarded at Honors Convocation in Block 8.
William R. Hochman winners:
- 2024 Hongli Zeng
- 2023 Margaret Hughes
- 2022 Will Funk
- 2021 Jacob Roschelle
- 2020 Gabriel McGill
Prior to its renaming in late 2019, this award was given as the Robert J. Cosgrove Award for Excellence in Student Research.
Robert J. Cosgrove Award winners:
- 2019 Sara Fleming, Thesis; Jasper Coulter, Essay
- 2018 Brittany Camacho, Thesis; Clara R. Houghteling, Essay
- 2017 Patrick Glastonbury and Taylor Wright Cutler
- 2016 Jamie A. Sarafan, Thesis; Jamie Peng, Essay; Charles Simon, Essay
- 2014 Will Heberlein
- 2013 Caroline Olsen
- 2012 Caitlin Barbera and Robert Shapiro
- 2011 Cassandra Casias
- 2010 Jordan Flanders
The Clyde Augustus Duniway Award for Outstanding Student Achievement
A Stanford University history professor turned administrator, Duniway served as president of the universities of Montana and Wyoming, and the Colorado College from 1917-1923. At Colorado College, his efforts to raise academic standards provoked a storm of student protest.
Each year, the History Department faculty award the Duniway prize to a senior History major who has distinguished herself/himself in the intellectual life of History majors and faculty. In addition to demonstrating academic achievement, the Duniway Award winner has also been active and instrumental in promoting department activities to enrich the CC History community. The Duniway Award is presented at Honors Convocation in Block 8.
Past Duniway Award winners:
- 2024 Katey Grealish
- 2023 Star Goudriaan
- 2022 Jane Harris
- 2021 Hope Chapin Moodey
- 2020 Eric Dallesasse
- 2019 Abe Lahr
- 2018 Eviva I. Kahne
- 2017 Drew Turley
- 2016 Jamie A. Sarafan
- 2014 Alexander Langstaff
- 2013 Keith Drury
- 2012 Melissa Trans
- 2011 Laura Utz
- 2010 Leá Norcross
Elsie L. Joerling Scholarship Fund
This scholarship was established in 1990. Elsie Louise Joerling '47 was a caseworker for El Paso County Department of Social Services. She was a native of Colorado Springs and a graduate of Colorado Springs High School. Ms. Joerling was a member of the Native Club and a volunteer at the Police Department's Victim Services Unit. In addition to this scholarship, she also left CC her stamp collection.
This scholarship is awarded based on financial need to a woman history major.
Elsie L. Joerling winners:
- Spring 2021 Mahea Daniels
- Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 Taylor Hawkins
- 2019 Ellen Loucks
- 2018 Jaysha Schwindt
- 2017 Rachael Maxwell
- 2016 Taylor Wright
- 2015 Kaimara Herron-July
The William Hochman Prize in War, Peace, and Human Values is awarded every year to honor student work on the experiences of war. Professor William Hochman was a World War II veteran, antiwar advocate, and tireless proponent for peace and human rights. The History Department welcomes student submissions, which include essays, poetry, photography, videos, and other media, for this prize in memory of Bill Hochman.
Submissions should be sent to Mary Smith (msmith2023@coloradocollege.edu) by 4th Monday of Block 7.
The winner will be announced at Honors Convocation.
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Non-Departmental Awards
The following list was complied by Dr. Judith A. Miller, Emory University, Department of History, May 2018.
The Undergraduate Awards program
The Undergraduate Awards program (based in Ireland) offers awards in 25 categories ("UA currently accepts submissions from students in any Institution of Higher Education in the world.") The UA website list information on how to submit and on eligibility
The American Historical Association
Raymond J. Cunningham Prize
The International Studies Association
ISS Best Student Paper Award
ISA-West Undergraduate Paper Award
The Humanities Education and Research Association
HERA Undergraduate Research Prize
In 2018 , HERA introduces their undergraduate research prize of of $1,000. The prize is awarded to the best undergraduate conference paper (or divided among a panel of papers), sponsored by an attending professor (with a $500 prize awarded to the professor).
Classical Association of New England
Classics: Phyllis B. Katz Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Research
A submitted paper must be the original work of an undergraduate student…on some aspect of ancient Mediterranean languages, literature, history or culture and should be of suitable length to be delivered orally in 15 minutes.
Council for European Studies
Undergraduate Project Prize
National Council for Black Studies
Student Essay Competition
Law and Society Association
Student Paper Prize
The Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History
Joan Nestle Prize
ASIANetwork
The 2019 McJimsey Award Competition
The Peace and Justice Studies Association
Best Undergraduate Paper of the Year Award
The Leo Baeck Institute
NY Essay Prize in German-Jewish History and Culture
The Leo Baeck Institute-NY Essay Prize in German-Jewish History and Culture. "essay prize to acknowledge the best essay written by an undergraduate enrolled in ANY undergraduate program at a North American college or university on any topic related to the history and cultures of German-speaking Jews.
Association for the Study of Food and Society
ASFS Student Paper Awards
Quest: The history of Spaceflight Quarterly
The Sacknoff Prize for Space History
The Children's Literature Association
Carol Gay Award
The Society for the History of Discoveries
Student Prize
American Association of Geographers, Russian, Central Eurasian And East European (RCEEE) Specialty Group
Student Paper Award
The Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies
AABS Undergraduate Paper Award
Society for American Archaeology
Student Paper Award
American Association of Geographers (AAG)
AAG Specialty and Affinity Group Awards
Southeastern Theatre Conference
Young Scholars Award
The SETC History/Theory/Criticism/Literature Committee invites submissions in all topics related to the broad categories of history, theory, criticism, and literature from graduate and undergraduate students.
The Association for Africanist Anthropology (AfAA)
Nancy "Penny" Schwartz Undergraduate Student Essay Award
The Association for Queer Anthropology (AQA)
Kenneth W. Payne Student Prize
The Society for the Psychology of Women (SPW) of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Women in Psychology (AWP)
Annual Prize for Psychological Research on Women and Gender by Graduate or Undergraduate Students
The American Folklore Society
Warren E. Roberts Prize for Best Student Paper in Folk Art
LGBTQIA Section
Transnational Asia/Pacific Section
The Sue Samuelson Award for Foodways Scholarship
Jewish Folklore and Ethnology Section
Richard Reuss Prize (History and Folklore Section)
EKM Student Prize(Women's Section)
The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS)
Student Research Paper Awards
Society for Ethnomusicology
African Music Section (AfMS) African Libraries Student Paper Prize
Charlotte Frisbie Student Paper Prize (Indigenous Music)
Historical Ethnomusicology Section
The Religion, Music, and Sound Section
American Studies Association
The Garfinkel Prize in Digital Humanities
Pacific Northwest Regional of the American Academy of Religion
PNWAAR/SBL/ASOR Call for Papers
Gender, Religion, Sexuality, and Power Unit: We are also open to papers from advanced undergraduate or Master's students, papers which would also be considered for the annual student paper prize (please identify your status with your proposal submission).
The Center for Communal Studies at the University of Southern Indiana
Paper Competition
The Center for Communal Studies at the University of Southern Indiana annually invites submissions for its prize competition for the best undergraduate and graduate student papers on historic or contemporary communal groups, intentional communities and utopias. Submissions may come from any academic discipline and should be focused on a topic clearly related to communal groups or utopias."
The Cultural Studies Association
The Randy Martin Prize for the Best Student Paper
The following list was complied by Dr. Judith A. Miller, Emory University, Department of History, May 2018.
Southeast Conference of the Association for Asian Studies
Student Prizes Competitions
Southeastern Commission for the Study of Religion
SECSOR Undergraduate Student Award
Papers submitted to the undergraduate section of SECSOR by the December 15 deadline are eligible for the undergraduate award.
Appalachian Studies Association
Carl A. Ross Student Paper Award
New York State Political Science Association
The Arthur L. Galub Award for the Best Paper by an Undergraduate Student
Florida Conference of Historians
J. Calvitt Clarke III Award
The Midwest Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association
Pat Browne Undergraduate Paper Awards
Midwest Political Science Association
Best Undergraduate Paper Presented in a Poster Format
Western Social Science Association
Best Undergraduate paper
The Eastern Communication Association
ECA Student Award
Research Papers in Wisconsin Labor and Working-Class History
Zeidler Academic Awards
Pennsylvania Historical Association
William A. Pencak Award for Best Undergraduate Research
Louisiana Historical Association
The Kimberly S. Hanger Prize
The Northern Great Plains History
NGPHC Undergraduate Paper Award
New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance (NJSAA)
Paul A. Stellhorn Undergraduate Paper in New Jersey History Award
The Southwestern Political Science Association (SWPSA)
Best Undergraduate Paper Award
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