William R. Tanner
History Scholarship

The 2000-2001 academic year marked the beginning of a campaign to establish the William R. Tanner Scholarship in History at Humboldt State University. We are proud to honor Professor Tanner through this tribute.

William R. Tanner was Professor of History at HSU from 1970 until he passed away in June 2000. During his distinguished career, he served as History Department Chair from 1971 to 1974, 1986 to 1987, and 1994 to 1995. He was President of the HSU General Faculty from 1986 to 1987, and for many years acted as advisor to the Social Science Secondary Education undergrads. Tanner received his BA in History at Western Illinois University and his PhD in History at the University of Kansas . Drawing on his early experience as a high school teacher in Kansas City, Tanner was an active liaison between the HSU History Department and the public schools in Humboldt County. He was the founder of the first History Day at HSU in 1981 (the first ever in California) and later wrote a history of Humboldt State University, A View from the Hill.


Please send contributions to:

Make checks payable to “ Humboldt State University ” with “William R. Tanner Scholarship” on memo line.

To learn more about this scholarship campaign or about the HSU Department of History and its programs, contact us at:

Letter from Fran Tanner

All of you who have known Bill or studied under him know how dedicated he was to History.

He worked very hard to establish History Day in Humboldt County- the first in the state. He didn't give up when it seemed insurmountable. There were no funds available for his pursuits.

Many generous people in our area saw the potential for their children and accepted his enthusiasm.

So many of our students have made it to national finals- what a tribute!

Fran Tanner