January 1991
Revised March 2001

The History Department is delighted to announce establishment of the Hawkinson Prize in History, established by Zenos and Barbara Hawkinson. A prize will be awarded annually to the student submitting the best research paper written on a historical theme. The award will be presented each spring at the annual Honors Convocation. 

To be eligible for consideration the paper will meet the following standards:  

1. Its subject will be clearly conceived, researchable, and open to argument based on evidence. 

2. Research will distinguish clearly between primary and secondary sources. To the degree that it is practical, primary sources are preferred. 

3. The argument will base itself firmly in the evidence. Sources will be appropriately documented in a consistent style. A full bibliography is expected. 

4. Writing will be clear, unambiguous, logically coherent, and graceful, as intending both the instruction and the pleasure of the reader. 

5. The finished paper will be clean, publication ready. There will be no spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors or unsightly erasures. 

The paper need not be written in a history course, but its subject matter and approach must be historical. Papers written and graded for course credit may be revised before submission. A prize paper becomes the property of North Park University, and may be exhibited as a model of college level historical craftsmanship to encourage and instruct students in succeeding years. 

The prize will be awarded by the University on nomination by the Faculty in History. If. in their judgment, no paper submitted achieves the necessary excellence, the prize will not be awarded for that year, and the funds will accumulate as a restricted endowment. Receipt of the prize will not affect any financial aid otherwise received by the paper's author. 

Since the Honors Convocation each year is in April, the annual cycle of papers eligible for submission will run from spring term of one year through the winter term of the following year. This competition will include papers written in spring term and fall term 2000. Students may wish to confer with history faculty regarding a decision to submit a particular paper. Though we have chosen not to include length of paper in the stated criteria, please note that the competition is confined to research papers. Shorter thought pieces, reaction papers, or analytical papers are not eligible. If in doubt regarding a paper's eligibility, consult with Professor Susan Rabe, chair of the History Department.

Past Winners:

2003: Frederick Airosto, "A Danger to Democracy: US Involvement in Chile."