Awards

Those who present at the FCH annual meeting and publish in the FCH Annals are eligible to compete for the following awards. The papers and posters submitted for the awards are judged by the authors' use and engagement with both primary and secondary sources.

Thomas M. Campbell Award

The Thomas M. Campbell Award is given to the best professional level paper published in the FCH Annals. Faculty and independent scholars are primarily eligible. Dr. Thomas (Tom) M. Campbell proved the driving force behind the creation of the Florida Conference of Historians, initially called the Florida College Teachers of History. It was his personality and hard work that kept the conference moving forward. Indeed, he was the personification of the Conference in its formative years. Tom was a professor of US diplomatic history at Florida State University and a fellow student and close colleague of noted historian George C. Herring, whose generous financial support has underwritten this award. Along with Professor Herring's support and Professor Campbell's many graduate students' support, the FCH is proud to maintain this award in the memory of Dr. Campbell. Click here to view a list of the Campbell Award winners.

Blaine T. Browne Award

The Blaine T. Browne Award is given to the best paper written by a graduate student paper, which best uses and engages with both primary and secondary sources. Dr. Browne earned a doctorate in American history at the University of Oklahoma in 1985. He subsequently taught at several universities and colleges before joining the faculty at Broward College in 1988. An active participant in the Florida Conference of Historians since 1994, Dr. Browne has presented at annual meetings and published in the Proceedings. Now retired from Broward College, he has authored numerous articles, reviews, and six textbooks, including Uncertain Order: The World in the Twentieth Century, 1968: The Rise and Fall of America's New Revolution, and Modern American Lives: Biographies in American History since 1945. Click here to view a list of the Browne Award winners.

J. Calvitt Clarke III Award

The FCH also gives the J. Calvitt Clarke III Award for the best undergraduate paper presented at the annual meeting. In 2012, Dr. Clarke, Professor Emeritus at Jacksonville University and a strong supporter of undergraduate research, graciously provided the seed funding for this important award. A frequent contributor to the FCH Annals, he is the founding editor of its predecessor, the Selected Annual Proceedings of the Florida Conference of Historians. In addition to numerous journal articles, Dr. Clarke has written chapters for several books and two monographs, Russia and Italy Against Hitler: The Bolshevik-Fascist Rapprochement of the 1930s and Alliance of the Colored Peoples: Ethiopia & Japan Before World War II. Click here to view a list of the Clarke Award winners.

Jack McTague Award

In honor of Dr. John J. "Jack" McTague, Professor of History at Saint Leo University, who passed away in 2022, the Executive Board at the Florida Conference of Historians decided to create a poster award. Dr. McTague was a dedicated academic and a long-standing attendee at the annual meetings. Saint Leo University's student newspaper published a touching tribute to his life and legacy. Click here to view the list of the McTague Award winners.

Douglas Astolfi Undergraduate Research Grant

The Douglas Astolfi Undergraduate Research Grant is named in honor of Dr. Douglas Astolfi, Professor of History at Saint Leo University, who passed away in 2018. Several colleagues, students, and his family contributed the seed money for an award. Dr. Astolfi was a strong advocate for undergraduate research and always brought his undergraduates to the FCH annual meeting. We thank the Astolfi family for their generosity and support! Click here for more information about how to apply for the grant.

Invited Tax Deductible Contributions

The FCH accepts tax deductible contributions to fund all awards and grants. To donate, please go to the "Support the FCH" page, or contact:

Dr. Jesse Hingson
Treasurer, Florida Conference of Historians
Jacksonville University
Department of History
2800 University Boulevard North
Jacksonville, FL 32211
(904) 256-7215
jhingso@ju.edu