The Alabama Baptist Historical Commission (ABHC) has announced another way to introduce students to Alabama Baptist history.
The Thomas Shumaker Historical Research and Writing Award for college students joins the Hosea Holcomb award for high school students for essays written about Alabama Baptist history.
Named after Thomas P. Shumaker, an ABHC commissioner, who passed away in January, the award honors this Alabama Baptist historian who was a member of First Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa.
Frances D. Hamilton, executive director of the ABHC, said the contests are a good way for writers to discover Alabama’s rich Baptist heritage. “Entrants might chose to write about a noted Alabama Baptist of times past, a contemporary in their church or family, a significant event or anything that has to do with our history,” she said. “As they share their information and perspectives all Alabama Baptists benefit.”
Winners from both contests will win cash awards, with the Hosea Holcomb first-place winner receiving $500.
High school students from the 10th grade to recent graduates may enter the Hosea Holcomb contest.
The essays should be five to eight pages in length, double-spaced in MLA style and have six primary and secondary sources.
The Thomas Shumaker contest is open to undergraduate college students of any age, who are at the freshman level through those who graduated in December 2002, May 2003 or will graduate in August 2003.
Essays should be 15 to 20 pages, double-spaced using Chicago Manual of Style, with six of more primary and secondary sources.
For both contests, if interviews are conducted, they should be recorded in some way, either by cassette or video, and turned in with the essay. Both the interviews and essays will be archived by the Historical Commission.
Entrants may also submit papers already written about Alabama Baptist history, if they have not been previously entered in the contest.
The postmark deadline for entries is Sept. 2. For more information, call Lynn Anderson at 205-726-2363 or 1-800-325-9863, or visit the resources page of The Alabama Baptist Web site at www.thealabamabaptist.org.
(TAB)
Share with others: