History
Honors and Prizes
Prizes
The Robert G. Bone History Prize is awarded to that person having completed the junior year with a major in history who best exemplifies the qualities of Robert G. Bone '28: enthusiasm for learning; unbridled curiosity about life; and unbounded kindness toward others.
The Cummings-Rumbaugh History Prize honors the memory of Mildred Rumbaugh Cummings and Clarence W. Cummings. Mr. Cummings was a member of the class of 1912. It is awarded to seniors with high academic standing.
The Aileen Dunham Prize in History was established in 1965 in honor of Professor Aileen Dunham, Chairperson of the Department of History, 1946-1966. It is awarded annually to the senior major who has attained the highest rank in history.
The James R. Turner Prize in History was established in his memory in 1986. Professor Turner was a member of the History Department from 1969 to 1986. The History Prize is awarded to the student with the most distinguished Junior Independent Study Thesis.
Endowed Funds
The Lawrence Stanley Summer Research Program Endowment in History was established in 2007 by Laura Stanley Gunnels in honor of her father and the 50th anniversary of the class of 1958. Mrs. Gunnels shared with her father an interest and passion for history and established the summer research endowment to support student research in history. Her intent is for students to develop the passion and habits of mastery that will advance the study of history in perpetuity. First preference is given to students following their first-year at Wooster. Each student is partnered with a faculty research advisor.
Scholarships
The Aileen Dunham Scholarship in History was established in 1965 in honor of Professor Aileen Dunham, Chairman of the Department of History, 1946-1966. It is awarded annually to a student who has achieved excellence in history courses and who demonstrates financial need.
The Helen K. and Ernest S. Osgood Scholarship Fund was established in 1984 by Helen Kaslo Osgood, a member of the History Department for thirty years beginning in 1951. In 1958 she married Ernest S. Osgood, Emeritus Professor of History, University of Minnesota. His activities at Wooster included advising Independent Study students in history, which gave him much pleasure. The scholarship is awarded annually, in consultation with the Department of History, to a junior or senior history major who has demonstrated high academic achievement and financial need.
Honor Society
Phi Alpha Theta, the national honorary society for History students, has an active Wooster chapter. Elections are made in the spring semester. Professor Marc Goulding is the faculty advisor for the Wooster chapter. Induction for new members will be held in April. Visit the Phi Alpha Theta National Chapter's website.
College-Wide Honors and Honor Societies
The Dean's List includes students meeting the following criteria during a semester: enrollment for at least four full credits in letter-graded courses, semester grade point average of 3.650 or higher, no final grade of I (Incomplete) or NC (No Credit). Students who demonstrate satisfactory progress in 451 or completion of 452 are eligible for the Dean's List with three courses which are letter-graded.
Departmental Honors are awarded at graduation to students who meet the following standards: (1) a grade of "H" on the Senior I.S. Thesis or unanimous vote of the department; (2) an average of 3.5 in all courses taken in the major department; (3) an overall average of 3.2 for four years at Wooster.
Latin Honors, first awarded in 1998, are awarded at graduation based on overall grade point average in Wooster-graded courses: summa cum laude for 3.900 to 4.000; magna cum laude for 3.750 to 3.899; and cum laude for 3.500 to 3.749. To graduate summa cum laude, a student must receive a grade of "H"on the Senior I.S. Thesis. Latin Honors are not a substitute for Departmental Honors.
Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest national society for the recognition of high scholarship, has a chapter, the Kappa of Ohio, at Wooster. The student membership is made up of those seniors who are first in academic rank, a few being elected at the beginning of the senior year on junior standing, and others at the end of the year.