Blog

LHS Staff - Compulsive Tinkerers or Just Nuts?

Jeff Harris — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:45:00 -0400

We tried a new workshop format this week. We had a panel of presenters talk about managing people – Dan McCain from the Wabash and Erie Canal Interpretive Center and Museum spoke about managing volunteers; Tanis Monday from the Putnam County Museum talked about managing interns; and Diane Ballard from the Monroe County History Center spoke about managing paid staff.

Each talked about their philosophy for about 15 minutes and then took questions from the audience. It was time for a snack break including Tanis’s delicious homemade coffee cake. After that the participants shared tips, techniques and habits they use in managing people. Another round of questions from the audience followed. We solicited questions in advance so some of the topics were presented anonymously including how to deal with conflict and how to break up projects into manageable chunks. The questions moved towards integrating new people into the organization and leading by example. The best piece of advice was to find people better than you and they would make you look great.

The half-day workshop wrapped up with all of us heading to the restaurant Almost Home in Greencastle. The conversations during lunch were great. The food was fabulous. The restaurant is known for their desserts – I had grasshopper pie. My end of the table also had strawberry pizza, lemon meringue pie and other choices.

I liked the casual and conversational format and it seemed so did the participants. We also know that not all topics would work in this style of presentation. What do you think? Would you like this style of presentation? What topics would you like to see in this type of format?

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Jeff Harris is director of Local History Services. He constantly travels the state for his job, giving him the opportunity to purs

The 1940 Census

Suzanne Hahn — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:10:00 -0400

April 2, 2012. The wait is over. If you are a genealogist, you have had this date circled for some time. For those of you wondering the importance of April 2, 2012 – no, it is not a new day after April Fool’s holiday – it is the release of the 1940 Census!

For privacy reasons, censuses are not available for public use for 72 years, so when one gets released, we all get a little excited. Census records can provide a wealth of information if you are researching a family, person, neighborhood or community.

One note – when the 1940 census is first released there will not be a name index. So, if you are trying to find a specific person, you will need to know where they lived and their enumeration district. Several websites have tips for tracking down enumeration districts:
National Archives: www.archives.gov/research/census/1940/start-research.html or
Stephen Morse: www.stevemorse.org/census/unified.html

Over the next few weeks, several online databases and websites will be frantically indexing the census records so you will be able to search by a specific name. We have several of the databases available for free in our library, if you want to visit and explore the 1940 Census.

For more information on the 1940 Census, including tips and tricks for using it in your research, join us for our Learning the 1940 Census workshop on April 14. For more information or to register online, click here.

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Suzanne Hahn is director of reference services for the IHS Collections and Library. She loves helping people find the information they seek and is perhaps the only librarian ever to get shushed for laughing too loud in a library.

How Much Do You Care About the History of Another?

Stacy Klingler — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:55:00 -0400

A few days ago, while enjoying some chocolate sandwich cookies and walking on the canal, Jeff Harris and I started a conversation about how much (or little) we ever talk about history content with local history groups. As the Local History Services department, you might expect that we're the place to go to get your questions answered about which Indiana county sent the most solders to fight in the Civil War or why the town of Wabash isn't in Wabash County. But the truth is, when someone asks those specific local history questions, we send them to the IHS reference desk.

What we do in LHS is talk about how local history is collected, preserved and shared with the public. We talk about engaging exhibit techniques, attracting new audiences to history organizations, fundraising for new roofs and archival boxes, and defending the value of local history. We may pick up fascinating details about a particular place on a site visit – like how all of Starke County smelled lovely during the mint harvest and how important that industry was. But rarely do we purposefully talk about the history or a particular place when we are with groups from different sites.

Is that a mistake on our part? Would we engage more local history organization presidents and directors if we made a space for these local history stories to be told in our In Your Neighborhood meetings or during workshops? Would you, Dear Reader, be more likely to read our blog, subscribe to Communique Online or visit our LHS department webpage if we share interesting tidbits of local history? Would you like to hear about another town or county's history?

We're not sure (although Jeff leans one way and I lean the other). Can you help us decide? Tell us if you would like to hear more about the local history of others!

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Stacy Klingler is assistant director of Local History Services at IHS. Along with the other LHS team members, she travels the state assisting local history organizations. She loves her job because it’s never the same thing twice, unless she has to make a U-turn at Main Street.

Faces of the Exhibits Team

Eloise Scroggins — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:35:00 -0400

Why is it so quiet today in Exhibits Design and Prep? This week, more than half of the exhibits team is off enjoying a well-deserved spring break (as is the rest of the IUPUI campus), and boy do we miss them.

For anyone who has visited the History Center in the past two years, it should come as no shock that there is a large team of people who help bring the You Are There spaces to life (not to mention, develop the many other exhibit offerings both in the building and as a part of our traveling exhibitions program). Without out interns, none of these projects would be possible.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the amazing work of Angela Giacomelli, a third-year graduate student who will complete her master's degree in public history this summer, without whom the Prohibition Enforced and Making a Jewish Home exhibits would not have happened. Krystal Gladden, also from the IUPUI graduate public history program, is the exhibits official graduate intern this year and has already made her mark on the Toys of the 1950s and 1960s exhibit and the upcoming Spirit of Competition traveling show. Abby Wolf, a work-study student with us from the IUPUI museum studies master's program, will graduate this coming May after having spent almost a year working on the upcoming polio vaccine You Are There, and who has been a lifesaver on too many graphics-related projects to name. And lastly, our newest addition, Maggie Schmidt, comes to us from the IUPUI museum studies graduate program as well, and in her short time with us, has had a significant role on the team behind this fall’s You Are There experience recreating an African-American doctor’s office from the 1940s.

When you visit the History Center, take a moment to notice the fruits of their labor by paying attention to the details in our various exhibit offerings. We are so grateful for their hard work!

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Eloise Scroggins is the director of exhibitions research and development at the IHS. She believes that telling a good story involves not only solid research and impeccable design, but most importantly, a good sense of humor and a playful imagination.

Field Services and Soul Food

Jeff Harris — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:30:00 -0500

The Indiana Historical Society Local History Services staff met with members of the Field Services Alliance in Indianapolis at the end of February. FSA is a network of folks from different states who serve local history groups and cultural organizations to help them do what they do better.

Like the AIM Conference, AAM conference, AASLH conference, In Your Neighborhood meetings and other get-togethers of colleagues, it was a great way to borrow ideas, talk through potential projects and get reinvigorated.

During the FSA meeting, IHS Local History Services talked about a few of the things we are doing:

The Hoosier Heritage Alliance project and the various components – especially the Collections Advisor, the new Endangered Heritage traveling exhibit that aims to help organizations raise money for collections care, and the site-specific collections care site visits.
The cemetery preservation workshops we offer in coordination with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources-Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. It is a great example of an uncommon public/non-profit partnership to train people in preserving historic cemeteries.
We also talked about a pilot project that pairs two local history groups with LHS for in-depth conversations about setting priorities. Look for more information on this project as it rolls out in a finished form.

The last part of the meeting was lunch at Maxine’s Chicken and Waffles, a great soul food restaurant in downtown Indy. I had chicken tenders with BBQ sauce, a sweet potato waffle with peach butter and mashed potatoes. I wouldn’t call it health food, but it was fabulous!

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Jeff Harris is director of Local History Services. He constantly travels the state for his job, giving him the opportunity to pursue his dream of finding the perfect mashed potatoes.

Last Minute Tips for Your National History Day Entry

Matt Durrett — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:05:00 -0500

So, National History Day contests are right around the corner and your project finally looks like it is all coming together. You've fought through paper cuts, delusional partners, sabotaging pets and other distractions. Your board stands up without duct tape, your bibliography is annotated, and your process paper is written. Now that you are seeing light at the end of the tunnel, here are some tips for avoiding a meltdown on History Day:

Websites

First and foremost: Make sure your website project is published and not password protected so the judges can see it!
Is your annotated bibliography and process paper on the website?

Papers

Make sure your paper entry arrives where it needs to be by the due date.
Have the content fresh in your mind on contest day – it may have been two weeks since you sent it in, so review before you interview.

Exhibits

Be prepared for things to fall apart. NHD in Indiana coordinators will have an emergency repair kit with tape, scissors, etc., but prepare by bringing anything you think you will need.
Don't forget your coat under the table! Be aware of valuables left around the exhibit. Remember the times you can get in and out of the exhibit area, and know when the public is allowed in to view.

Documentaries

Bring multiple copies of your DVD. Make sure the discs are not blank. Put a copy on a flash drive. Bring a laptop with the film saved on it. Make sure they work. Have a plan for making sure the film plays.
Be ready to go when your time comes up! Have your paperwork and hardware ready!

Performances

Be prepared for an audience. Depending on the contest, you may be in an empty classroom or a full auditorium. Be ready for an audience of both sizes.
Have your script memorized. Remember: No reading off scripts during the presentation.

All Projects

Do not forget your paperwork! Every project requires paperwork. Do not forget your annotated bibliographies or process papers. Make sure you have at least four copies. Heck, bring six! You will never be penalized for being over-prepared.
Did you follow all of the rules? Does your paper entry have a cover page?
Take every precaution to avoid someone forgetting something or some kind of software problem. Partner forgot the process paper? Good thing you have extra copies!
Do not freak out. Things will go wrong at some point. Problems will be fixed. Nobody gets disqualified from History Day in Indiana for a fixable problem.
Finally: Smile. Be confident. Practice a firm handshake. Look the judges in the eye. Have fun!

In summary, always take into account Murphy's Law: if something can go wrong, it will go wrong. While you may be able to convince coordinators to accept your late paper, to fix your unpublished website or that one copy of your bibliography is enough, it does not look good in front of the judges. Preparing for the unexpected problems and finding solutions, on the other hand, looks great!

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Matt Durrett is coordinator, National History Day in Indiana. Usually laconic and reserved, he has recently acquired the nickname “The Quiet Storm” around the office for his rare yet tempest-like outbursts.

Connecting to Indiana’s History Collections

Tamara Hemmerlein — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:30:00 -0500

The Hoosier Heritage Alliance Connecting to Collections project is one of the most exciting projects I’ve ever been involved with. It’s all about working with Indiana’s history organizations to help preserve Hoosier history. I didn’t know before I started that an estimated 1,028 organizations in Indiana hold more than 20 million historical objects and 424,000 linear feet of primarily historical documents. That’s a lot of important stuff.

The Hoosier Heritage Alliance project was designed to address some of the needs of the organizations that care for those objects and documents. All of the activities are intriguing and have been fun to help plan and design. There are collections care training site visits, an Endangered Heritage traveling exhibit, the Collections Advisor monthly email and, coming soon, regional conferences and online training. As coordinator of the project, I get to do very cool stuff with lots of talented people.

Of all the project activities my favorites are the collections care training site visits. I spend a day at a local history organization, and we work together on their collection. We talk about concerns and problems; we also share success stories. I get to travel all over the state and meet museum staff and volunteers who are dedicated to taking care of Indiana’s history. The visits are free to history organizations and are tailored to fit the organization. I also get to leave presents – $100 worth of archival supplies.

I see wonderful objects and documents that help me connect to Indiana’s heritage – like a trough used by Francis Slocum, gorgeous pottery made by the Overbeck sisters and objects used at Lyles Station, a settlement of freed slaves in Southern Indiana. I wish that people who think of Indiana as a “flyover” state would stop and take the time to see what I’ve seen and meet the people I’ve met. The people who spend their time caring for Indiana’s history are taking on an honorable and important task. I admire their dedication and care. It’s a privilege to work with Indiana’s museum people. Plus, I’ve gotten to sample some great home cooking at lunch time.

For more information about the Hoosier Heritage Alliance Connecting to Collections project activities, go to www.indianahistory.org/hha.

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Tamara Hemmerlein is the Hoosier Heritage Alliance coordinator at IHS. She is traveling all over Indiana to advocate for good collections stewardship. Tamara loves mashed potatoes and ice cream, but not together.

A Letter to Grandma

Suzanne Hahn — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:30:00 -0500

It amazes me how early children learn that grandmas are one of their biggest allies. Maybe it is because they don't hear the word "no" as often or they get chocolate chip cookies for breakfast, but grandchildren know they have a special bond with grandma. So when I came across this letter from Mary Stewart to her grandma, it made me smile to see that bond has existed for a while in history.

The letter is part of the Slawson-Tarkington Papers, a collection that documents the lives of two Indiana families. The Slawson family settled in Switzerland County, and the Tarkington family settled in Greensburg. In the letter, young Mary Stewart writes to her grandmother, Maria [Slawson] Tarkington. She pleads her case about buying candy but not getting to eat sugar and talks about family matters. She ends the letter with love to all at grandma’s house and asks for a letter in return.

Do you think grandma would have let her have some sugar?

Win Scholarship Money to Indiana University at the NHDI State Contest!

Matt Durrett — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:40:00 -0500

Hot from the Development Office:

The Cole Porter Scholarship for Indiana Musical Heritage

Indiana’s past is filled with the stories of musical legends. From the jazz clubs of old Indiana Avenue to the contributions of greats like Cole Porter and Hoagy Carmichael, Indiana’s singers, songwriters and composers have made incredible contributions to the American music scene. Named after one of Indiana’s foremost composers, the Cole Porter Scholarship for Indiana Musical Heritage will recognize an outstanding senior category project at the state level in the National History Day in Indiana competition which explores Cole Porter and his impact on American music. Projects can explore any number of topics surrounding Cole Porter – his life, music and influence on other musicians and composers. One award will be given to a high school senior participating in one of the following categories: paper, exhibit, performance, documentary or website. Only one award will be given during the 2012 competition.

The Cole Porter Scholarship for Indiana Musical Heritage is open only to high school juniors and seniors. In 2012, the recipient will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship to be applied toward his or her first year of tuition at Indiana University. The recipient must attend Indiana University in the fall of 2012 to receive the award.

Note that this scholarship is only available to 11th and 12th grade students. Projects must relate to Cole Porter in some way and must compete at the state contest to be eligible. Qualifying candidates for the scholarship award will be judged on their project and a short essay which will be due on the registration due date for the state contest, April 6, 2012. Good luck, students!

Vive la difference

Jeff Harris — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:20:00 -0500

The Local History Services Department recently went out on an afternoon of team-building to Petite Chou, a French café in the Broad Ripple neighborhood of Indianapolis. They have lots of interesting food, but we all had dessert crepes. I had banana and brown sugar; Jeannette had chocolate and berries; Tamara had caramel and apple; and Stacy had Nutella™. The crepes were all different and we each enjoyed our own.

Spending that afternoon together reinforced to me how different we all are as people. Not only did we all eat different food, we all have very different personalities and bring very different outlooks and skills to the LHS team. We are each able to do many different things, but we each our have own strengths (and weaknesses).

I’m the strategist. I think long term; lots of “what if ... ” kind of thoughts. Stacy is the tactical mind. She breaks up the path to the long distance target into small doable pieces. Jeannette is the visual and logistical thinker. She manages the county historian program, schedules most of our trips and keeps many different projects on course. Tamara is the “integrator.” She helps people with different viewpoints to come together and agree.

The fact that we are all so different has pluses and minuses. We each look at a potential issue facing the department differently. That means we sometimes disagree but we seldom overlook something important. We often suggest different approaches to challenges we face, but that means we have lots of options to choose from and we usually choose the right path.

I appreciate the various skills and experiences of my colleagues on the LHS team. While it would be easier for my mental health to have everyone think EXACTLY like I do, it wouldn’t create a strong team. The LHS team would be much weaker if we all had the same skills and outlook.

Local history groups have the same challenges fulfilling their missions as our department. It’s often easiest to work with people that are similar but it is not as effective in achieving your goals. Celebrate the differences we all bring to our organizations. Work to bring in folks that disagree or have different skills. It will make the organization stronger.
As they might say at Petite Chou café, “vive la difference.”

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Jeff Harris is director of Local History Services. He constantly travels the state for his job, giving him the opportunity to pursue his dream of finding the perfect mashed potatoes.

A Compelling Story Part II

Jeff Harris — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:10:00 -0400

Back in March, I blogged about a visit to the Indiana Deaf Heritage Museum located at the Indiana School for the Deaf. They were in the process of moving their museum and setting up a new exhibit.

We met and chatted about how they might reach their audience by developing compelling stories that would help them connect to some of the broader themes they were interested in presenting. Many students at the

: Keith Selke, Indiana Deaf Heritage archivist, at the entry to the new museum.

Indiana School for the Deaf looked at the school as a second home – a place where they were able to communicate easily and where they had friends. Many students felt isolated and had difficulty communicating with non-deaf friends and even their own families who didn’t understand sign language although many families did learn sign language.

The new museum, although small, is filled with compelling stories of students learning, growing, and figuring out their place in the world – something we all struggle to do, whether deaf or not. One area tells the story of A Girl Named Annie.

Annie Cooper came to the Indiana School for the Deaf as a child (in 1911, if I remember correctly). She wore large black-rimmed round glasses. In highlighting Annie, Indiana Deaf Heritage brought the story of the new kid at school to a very personal level. I viewed the Indiana School for the Deaf and its students through Annie’s eyes. What could have become a rather impersonal story about a building and the people that used it became a touching story about one kid leaving home and going to a boarding school with all the worries and concerns that any one of us would have.

: Jerry Cooper, Indiana Deaf Heritage president, next to A Girl Named Annie.

History museums have the power to use objects and photos to connect us to a particular story and then use that story to bring the broader picture into focus.

There is a lesson to be learned by history groups – the story is not about the building; the story is about Annie.

The Indiana Deaf Heritage Museum is in the Indiana School for the Deaf, 1200 E. 42nd St., Indianapolis, IN 46205 and open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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Jeff Harris is director of Local History Services. He constantly travels the state for his job, giving him the opportunity to pursue his dream of finding the perfect mashed potatoes.

No One Way to Learn History

Stacy Klingler — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:05:00 -0400

I’ve been talking a lot lately about the variety of ways that people learn.

I’m a text learner. I like to read and follow directions because it appeals to my orderly sense of the world – or perhaps to the sense of order I impose on the world. (My nickname isn’t Spreadsheet Girl for nothing.) Jeff, on the other hand, is a do-er. He jumps in with both feet and solves the problem, and he doesn’t require a clearly laid out path to get there. Tamara likes to learn through conversation. She is a consummate teacher and seminar class participant. Jeannette is a visual learner – use the image to communicate a thousand words effectively, and you’ll hook her.
Each of us can learn by engaging with images, talking with colleagues, creating something new or reading a book. But when it comes to self-directed or optional learning – like the kind of learning people choose to do at the Indiana Historical Society or in any of the museums or historical societies we work with at Local History Services – people prefer to have you play to their strengths.

Recently, we’ve been talking about how, within the Indiana Experience, there’s something for most everyone. For Jeannette, Destination Indiana lets her pick and choose historic images and explore them in detail (zooming in on a street sign or a person’s face). For Tamara, she has lots of opportunities to talk with our facilitators (the “orange shirts” as we sometime call them) about her interests. For Jeff, we’ve got the History Lab, where he can roll up his sleeves and mend a piece of paper. And for me, we have the IHS Press coming out with new books every year. (And when we all need a break, we head down to the café for a pecan bar or a cookie pie – dangerous stuff.)

Local history groups also work to help people learn in whatever way suits them, even without access to the staff and technology that we have at IHS. For Jeannette, they have photographs on display, sometimes with magnifying glasses. For Tamara, they have docents who can answer questions and spin a yarn. For Jeff, they usually have “education collections” that can be used to spin yarn, for example. And for me, they have text panels, newsletter articles and other publications. Maybe the local history groups are a little light on the Jeff-pleasers (and who would want to please Jeff all the time!) But overall, they adapt the way they engage visitors on the fly and find something that works for whoever walks through their door.

So how do you like to learn? And where did you have a chance to learn the way you wanted to recently?

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Let's Talk About Paper III

rhuse — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:20:00 -0400

I’d like to talk a little about books now. Books are complex objects. They’re made from a variety of materials that behave in varying ways as they age. Paper or parchment can be used for the pages (or leaves). Wood or pressed cardboard can be used for the book boards. Cloth, thread, glue and leather all come together to make an integrated three dimensional artifact (with moving parts!) that are subject to use for many years. I mean, you pick up a book and you want it to be a book, and move like a book - you expect it to.

I made this little book. It’s never been used but for these slides, but the parts of a book include the top edge, the book block (pages or leaves) the head, tail, spine and joint (where the book boards join the binding)

There’s more ...

The fore edge, boards, hinge (inner place were the book board meets the binding) headband at the top and the flyleaf. Called the flyleaf because that’s where the pages move or ‘fly’. Nice.

Most book structures rely on sheets of paper that are folded together. These are called various things – signatures or quires. These are nested and stacked. The nested pages are sewn through the center fold with thread.

Stacked signatures are sewn vertically along the folded edge with thread. This sewn structure is the binding. The binding is usually lined with a fabric or paper, and the lining is then attached to the book boards.

The nature of composite objects like books makes them vulnerable to damage as they are used. Everything has different strengths – and that will affect your ability to use the book and preserve it.

Just so you think about this a little bit more – wood book boards are subject to warping with high humidity.

Linen and cotton used for sewing is strong when new, but fibers weaken with age. Breaks in the sewing result in pages no longer in perfect alignment with other pages in the book.

Some books are tightly bound and just don’t open well. Resist the urge to ‘crack’ the spine – gee, the nuns taught us that! – which can break binding threads, misalign signatures and cause pages to fall out. Provide support – hey, a pillow will do! – to help prevent damage. You can gently prop the pages back with soft weights …hmm – where to get? Try this – buy some infant socks and fill them lightly with dry beans; sew them up and you’ve got cute weights. If you like frogs you can get the froggie ones ... no really, they’ll work!

While books are complex, the single element that most affects the long life of any book or paper artifact is the quality of the paper used. Acidic paper makes future repairs to pages and binding difficult. Because the paper is so brittle, simple mends to tears in paper are likely to tear along the mended edge. Good quality paper is very robust and will withstand the rigors of time and use very well. Still, I’d like to talk about how to protect any object from harm in the next discussion.

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Ramona Duncan-Huse is senior director of Conservation at IHS. She enjoys all the "stuff" of life – family, gardening, art and the family dog, Daisy. Despite being labeled by her middle-school son as "born in the 1860s" (instead of 1960s), they share a favorite song: "Time of the Season’" by the Zombies.

Man Once Thought Dead Elected Governor

Amy Vedra — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:00:00 -0400

When you think about elections, you don’t often consider electing an official who was thought to have died years before the election ever took place. The people of Indiana do not appear to have had any qualms about doing just that in the fall of 1928 for the state’s highest office.

Harry G. Leslie was the governor of Indiana from 1929 until 1933. However, more than 25 years prior to the election, he was lying in a morgue. On Oct. 31, 1903, the Purdue University and Indiana University rivalry game was scheduled. Two special trains were heading south from West Lafayette to Indianapolis where the game was to be played.

At the time, Leslie was captain of the football team at Purdue and riding with the other players in the first car. After rounding a bend, the Big Four Railroad's engine 350 collided with a coal train which had not been notified of the special’s presence on the tracks. The cars were destroyed and several bodies were taken to the morgue, among them the body of Harry G. Leslie.

Hours later, it was discovered that Leslie still had a pulse albeit faint. Although in grave condition immediately following the accident, he slowly recovered with the help of several operations. He carried the scars and limped as a result of that day for the rest of his life. Seventeen people lost their lives in the crash, including 14 players.

Incredibly, Harry G. Leslie was able to graduate from Purdue just one year behind schedule, continuing onto Indiana University to complete a law degree. He became involved in politics, holding various offices and was elected governor of Indiana just as the Great Depression was about to start. He served one term as governor.

For more information about Harry G. Leslie and other Indiana governors, see The Governors of Indiana published by the Indiana Historical Society.

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Amy Vedra is a cataloger in Printed Collections at the Indiana Historical Society. She enjoyed going to historic sites when she was a kid, and even now few vacations pass without a visit to a Civil War battlefield or other equally historic site.

Three New Cash Prizes for History Day!

Matt Durrett — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:05:00 -0400

I am excited to announce that we have three brand-new awards secured for the 2012 National History Day in Indiana State Contest, and I have a feeling our students are going to be excited about these too! Here are the awards:

Thomas Krasean Prize for Indiana History will be awarded to the creator(s) of an outstanding project in Indiana history. This award is provided by John Herbst, president and CEO of the Indiana Historical Society. The winner(s) of this award will receive a cash prize of $500.

John S. and Louise Reif Herbst Prize for an outstanding project in German-American history. This award is provided by John Herbst, president and CEO of the Indiana Historical Society. The winner(s) of this award will receive a cash prize of $200.

Rooker Family Foundation Award will be awarded to a student or students who have participated in National History Day in Indiana for multiple years. There will be a nomination process for this award prior to the state contest and it may or may not be divided into multiple awards. This award is sponsored by The Richard W. and Irene Rooker Family Foundation. The cash prize for this award is $500.

As you can see, the bar has been raised for prizes at the NHDI State Contest! We think that the competition for these prizes will rise as well. With the theme Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History, what topic will you choose this year?

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