Awards & Scholarships
History majors and SSSE majors are eligible for several awards sponsored by the History Department.
The Johnston-Aronoff scholarship is given each year to an outstanding student from Humboldt County who is pursuing a career in teaching history at the K-12 level. Preference will be given to Native American students, but is not limited to Native Americans. The award was established by Guy Aronoff, a professor in the HSU History Department, and his wife, Judy Johnston.
The Charles R. Barnum History Awards celebrate original historical research of Humboldt County. The awards were established in 1952 by a grant from Charles Barnum, a realtor and insurance broker in Eureka who was a member of the Humboldt State College Advisory Board from 1946 to his death in 1953. Papers will be accepted until 4p.m., Friday, March 15, 2013. Awards will be announced at the spring majors meeting. Up to $2,500 in prize money will be distributed each year, and up to three awards will be given.
Any current student can submit a paper from any year in their HSU career that hasn’t been previously submitted. The topic of the paper should be some aspect of local Humboldt County history; sources should be cited and a bibliography included; and the paper should be approximately 10-12 pages in length (the page length is a guideline, not a limit). Turn in your submission at the History Department office in Founders Hall 180, along with a cover page that lists your name, e-mail address, and current home address. Submissions should be formatted according to the Chicago Manual of Style.
The Gimbel Research Trust is administered by the History Department in honor of former HSU History professor John Gimbel. Awards are intended to support the research of outstanding History majors. Students may apply for up to $250 for travel to an archive or research library, or to conduct research in another appropriate form. Travel must support student work related to a History class or to the annual History Department Student Conference held in the Spring. Applications for award money must be submitted to the History Department main office (Founder’s Hall 180). The deadline for applications is TBA.
The Dr. John Hennessey Award was established in memory of Dr. John Hennessey, a professor of History and department chair at Humboldt State University who, after his retirement from the History Department, provided many years of service to the university. The award is given each year to a history major and graduating senior who has demonstrated academic excellence in the study of history.
The William R. Tanner History Scholarship was established in memory of William R. Tanner, professor of History at Humboldt State University from 1970 to 1999 and founder of History Day at the university. Dr. Tanner was also author of A View from the Hill, a history of Humboldt State University. The Tanner scholarship is awarded each year to a History major and resident of Humboldt County who has demonstrated academic merit and financial need.