Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta, the history honor society, was established at the University of Arkansas on March 17, 1921 by Nels Andrew N. Cleven. The organization has over 800 chapters throughout the United States. Phi Alpha Theta recognizes the academic accomplishments of both graduate and undergraduate students in history. Itsmission is to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication, and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians.
The University of Tennessee chapter, Alpha Zeta Kappa, has an active membership. The chapter hosts several research colloquiums throughout theyear in which undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty share their research. It also organizes several film screenings introduced by history faculty as well as other sessions of interest to undergraduate history majors and graduate students.
Benefits of Membership
Membership in the national organization offers several benefits to students. Every year Phi Alpha Theta sponsors panels at several major historical conferences such as those hosted by the American Historical Association, Southern Historical Association, and the Western History Association. Students at the U.T. chapter can also submit papers for the annual regional conference. Along with conference participation, the national organization provides several scholarships, grants, and paper prizes for undergraduate and graduate students. Please consult the national website at www.phialphatheta.org for information on calls for papers and scholarly awards.
Membership Requirements
To join the Alpha Zeta Kappa chapter, students must complete an application for membership, which can be downloaded here: http://www.phialphatheta.org/prc.pdf. The one-time fee to join is $50 (make checks payable to Phi Alpha Theta), which includes a lifetime membership in the honor society as well as a one-year subscription to The Historian. Once the application is approved and the fee is paid, students will attend an initiation ceremony in the late spring. Please send the application form and check to Dr. David Tompkins (dtompki3@utk.edu) in the History Department on the 6th floor of Dunford Hall.
- Undergraduates— must have completed at least 12 semester hours in History (4 courses) with a GPA of at least 3.1 in History, have a GPA of 3.0 or better overall, and be in the top 35% of the class. Membership is not limited to History majors.
- Graduate Students— should have completed a minimum of 12 semester hours towards their Master’s Degree and have a GPA of better than 3.5.
- Transfer Students— if you would like to transfer your membership to the Alpha Zeta Kappa chapter you must fill out a membership form and pay a one-time fee of $10.
2007-2008 Officers
| TITLE | NAME | |
| Co-President | Chris Kennedy | ckenne10@utk.edu |
| Co-President | Maggie Yancey | myancey2@utk.edu |
| Vice-President | Elizabeth Piller | epiller@utk.edu |
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. David Tompkins | dtompki3@utk.edu |
2007-2008 Events
| WHEN | TIME | WHERE | WHAT |
| Thursday, September 13, 2007 | 4:30p | 6th floor, Dunford Hall | Organizational Meeting |
| Thursday, September 27, 2007 | 4:30p | 6th floor, Dunford Hall | Ph.D. Candidate Jake Hamric, The German Temple Society: Culture, Religious Nationalism, and Ideology in Palestine, 1861-1918 |
| Thursday, October 18, 2007 | 4:30p | 6th floor, Dunford Hall | Roundtable for Undergraduates: Graduate Students on Applying to Graduate School |
| Monday, October 22, 2007 | 7:00p | Hodges Library Auditorium | Film "Black Robe" with an introduction from Professor Robert Morrissey |
| Saturday, April 5, 2008 | All Day | University of Tennessee, Martin | Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference |