News in American History »
Two Longtime OAH Members Receive National Humanities Medals
Posted: 09/04/2015
The Organization of American Historians is delighted and honored to learn that Past OAH President Vicki Lynn Ruiz and longtime member Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham have been named by the White House as two of the ten distinguished recipients of the 2014 National Humanities Medal. The National Humanities Medal is the nation’s highest award recognizing individuals, groups, and institutions for transformative research, scholarship, and public engagement that advance the humanities and deepen our understanding of American life, history, and culture.
The National Humanities Medal honors Professor Ruiz "for her contributions as a historian. In monographs and edited volumes, Dr. Ruiz has pioneered the history of twentieth-century Latinas in a distinguished career that began with collecting oral testimony from Mexican immigrants who worked in U.S. canning factories."
Read more about the award and how to live stream the presentation on September 10
2016–2017 Harry Ransom Center Research Fellowships
Posted: 09/01/2015
The Harry Ransom Center will award approximately 70 fellowships for 2016–2017 for projects that require substantial on-site use of its collections. The fellowships support research in all areas of the humanities, including literature, photography, film, art, the performing arts, music, and cultural history.
For more information on the Harry Ransom Center Dissertation Fellowships, click here.
Fore more information on the one- to three- month Harry Ransom Center Fellowships, click here.
For more information on the Harry Ransom Center travel stipends, click here.
Action Alert: National Humanities Alliance
Posted: 08/26/2015
Act now to prevent deep cuts to funding for international education.
The Senate has proposed deep cuts to Title VI and Fulbright-Hays.
These programs are crucial for educating U.S. students for our interconnected world and training experts in foreign languages and cultures.
The proposed cut would slash $25 million (35%) from Title VI and Fulbright-Hays, and it has already passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
This comes after a drastic cut in 2010 and would amount to a 63% reduction over five years!
What's at stake?
- A steady supply of graduates with deep expertise in foreign languages and cultures, international markets, world regions, and global issues;
- Our national educational and research capacity in 200 less-commonly-taught languages that are critical to our ability to communicate with communities around the world;
- Opportunities to strengthen the teaching of foreign languages and cultures at the K-12 level.
Click here for more information on Title VI programs and the status of the appropriations process.
Send a message to Congress now.
We need to speak out now to ensure that the Senate bill does not advance any further. The House appropriations committee has already approved funding at the current level. Your voice will help ensure that these crucial international education programs remain intact.
For more information about the National Humanities Alliance, click here.
Action Alert: Urge Congress to Restore Funding for K-12 History and Civics Education
Posted: 08/21/2015
Negotiations to finalize a rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) will resume when Congress returns after Labor Day. Quite simply, the Senate bill restores federal funding for K-12 history and civics education while the House bill does not.
The Organization of American Historians and the National Coalition for History (NCH) urgently need you to contact your member of the House of Representatives. Congressmen Ross (R-FL) and Cicilline (D-RI) have drafted and distributed a sign-on letter urging their colleagues to adopt the history and civics provisions in the Senate's version of the bill.
Please urge your representative to sign the "Dear Colleague" letter supporting key provisions that benefit history and civics education.
Send an email directly to House members!
Follow this link to NCH's website for more information.
To read the full Action Alert, click here.
Call For Proposals: Administrative History Of Golden Spike National Historic Site
Posted: 07/13/2015
The OAH and National Park Service presently seek a qualified scholar to research and write a comprehensive Administrative History of Golden Spike National Historic Site, located near Promontory, Utah. Golden Spike National Historic Site interprets the 1869 completion of the nation's first transcontinental railroad, and preserves and protects resources along the historic rail line near Promontory, Utah.
A complete Scope of Work and information regarding submitting a proposal to complete this work can be found here.
2016 Germany Residency Program
Posted: 07/12/2015
Thanks to a generous grant from the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, the OAH International Committee is pleased to announce the continuation of the Germany Residency Program at the University of Tübingen. The committee seeks applications from OAH members who are established scholars affiliated with an American or Canadian University interested in leading an advanced undergraduate/graduate student seminar focusing on one aspect of U.S. History. For more information and details on how to apply, visit http://www.oah.org/programs/residencies/germany/.
Applications must be submitted by October 1, 2015