OC’s history honor society journal places second in national competition

Phi Alpha Theta won second prize in the 2021 Gerald Nash Journal Competition.

Oklahoma Christian University has a long tradition of excellence among its history students. That tradition has continued as OC’s history honor society, Phi Alpha Theta, has once again placed in the Gerald Nash Journal Competition. OC’s “Journal of Historical Studies” received second place with a $350 prize. Matt McCook, professor of history, and Emily Smith, assistant professor of history, oversaw the production of the journal.

OC students were grateful to participate in the competition since it was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They were eager to contribute both individual and group efforts to complete the journal, and they were honored to receive national recognition for their work. 

Trey Orndorff, OC's chair of the Behavioral and Social Sciences Program and associate professor of Political Science, expressed how incredibly proud he is of OC’s programs. 

“I am beyond happy that history continues to demonstrate how key it is to both BASS and to OC,"  Orndorff said.

Just last year, OC placed first in the competition for only the second time. Placing in the top three any year is difficult, but it is not unexpected for OC History students. OC’s chapter has won a Best Chapter Award for 24 consecutive years, and the students will find out soon if they did it again. 

Tina Winn, chair of OC's Education and Behavioral and Social Sciences Division, praised the faculty and students for the honor. 

"Congratulations to all of the students who submitted work to the “Journal of Historical Studies,” she said. “What a tribute to each of you, our History program, and the legacy of Dr. John Maple.  This kind of honor and recognition of excellence doesn't come without a huge investment of time, effort, leadership and a solid foundation of academic excellence." 

​​Phi Alpha Theta has 970 chapters and over 400,000 members nationwide that promote historical research and publication. The group’s mission is to study history while uniting professors and students. Colleges that participate in the society can earn various awards and participate in prestigious competitions. The undergraduate journal competition required students to write more than 100 pages of academic articles and research.

The students that contributed in making OC’s 2021 journal were Emily Cole, Stephanie Mathiasen, Alison Helms, Garrett McManaman, Migisha Eva Sangwa, Sam Day, Brighton Frost, James Burke, Hunter Strohl and Elizabeth Marble.