Department of History awards

Cash award amounts vary by scholarship and year.

History department awards

Stow Persons Award for Outstanding Senior Honors Thesis

An award given to the undergraduate student who writes the best honors thesis for the academic year. In honor of Carver Professor of History, Stow Persons (1913-2006), who was a distinguished member of the department from 1950 until his retirement in 1981.

Alan B. Spitzer Scholarship

One annual scholarship awarded to an undergraduate in history who demonstrates exceptional promise and dedication to the study of history. Qualifications: junior standing and minimum of 3.25 GPA in History.

William L.M. & William E. Burke Scholarship

To support one or more annual scholarships for students studying European history; preference to undergraduate students. To provide students with travel expenses to and from Europe to expand their study – social history, urban history, architecture, and/or art.

William Eugene Wolters Scholarship

One or more annual scholarships, based on need and merit, awarded to a junior or senior student majoring in history, with a special interest in American history.

Departmental Academic Achievement Award

This award honors the two graduating seniors with the highest cumulative GPA in the history major.

Departmental Service Award

This award recognizes an undergraduate history major who has demonstrated exceptional service and leadership to the study of history at the University of Iowa.

Hamod/Habhab/Keeshan Scholarship

This award is available to an undergraduate history major in the University Honors program. See all requirements on the Honors at Iowa page.

Funding for Internships

Please visit our Experiential Learning page for information on funding opportunities for unpaid internships.

Recent award winners

Phi Beta Kappa

Phi Beta Kappa is a national honors society for students in the Liberal Arts. Through its journal, The American Scholar, and other activities it promotes the Liberal Arts across the country. Admission to Phi Beta Kappa is one of the foremost markers of distinction in the humanities. The following students have been invited to accept membership in the Alpha of Iowa chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

2024-25

  • Kyla Bethel
  • Joseph Bonelli
  • Calla Brunkan
  • Samuel Buman
  • Jack Carrell
  • Joy Curry
  • Michael Danos
  • Hughie Doyle
  • Corinne Hoffmann
  • Thomas Jones
  • Caitlin Keiper
  • Brady McSperrin
  • Madeline Phillips
  • William Plumlee
  • Gavin Scott
  • Jake Wicks

2023-24

  • Adeline Bradley
  • William Broadston Irvine
  • Elisa Burba
  • Hannah Cloud
  • Madeline DeCoste
  • Carson Frazee
  • Juliet Gratias
  • Max Halbach
  • Emily Kehoe
  • Abby Kellis
  • Cameron LaPage
  • Sabrina Leistikow
  • Ismael Leyva
  • Jesse Miller
  • Nicholas O'Donnell
  • Alana Scherer
  • Charlotte Stevens
  • Kaitlyn Walter
  • Yardley Whaylen
  • Jake Wicks
  • Amelia Williams

2022-23

  • Brayden Adcock
  • Anna Behrens
  • Charlie Bell
  • Marcos Cervantes
  • Allison Clark
  • Phoebe Dillard
  • Jenna Eastman
  • Cameron LaPage
  • Peyton Levas
  • Ashley McKim
  • Nicholas O’Donnell
  • Kaitlin Oehlert
  • Alana Scherer
  • Jacob Siefke
  • Sydney Van Trump
  • Kaitlyn Walter
  • Hannah Wenger

2021-22

  • Roxanna Barbulescu
  • Micah Broekemeier
  • Caroline Brown
  • Nathan Bryk
  • Megan Christianson
  • Keagen Coates
  • Jack Donley
  • Lauren Fuller
  • Nicole Gilbert
  • Sarah Hager
  • Reagan Hart
  • Cori Hoffmann
  • Aaron Kruger
  • Lauren Phillips
  • John Reasoner
  • Alana Scherer
  • Noah Weiner
  • Aubrey Werthmann

2020-21

  • Sophia Gilbert
  • John Kamp
  • Jack Lauer
  • Jude McDonnell
  • Miriam Ochs

2019-20

  • Nicole Allen
  • Emily Bronswick
  • Sydney DeBoer
  • Hannah Haack
  • Carly Heying
  • Emma Johnson
  • Jude McDonnell
  • Sean Ruecker
  • Hannah Schillinger
  • Allison Steger

2018-19

  • Emily Lefeber
  • Benjamin Louviere
  • Bailey Petersen
  • Hannah Schillinger
  • Michael Steffen

2017-18

  • Megan Ryan
  • Evan Bittner
  • Paige Mitchell

2016-17

  • Samuel Ceruti
  • Garrett Gobble
  • Sarah Lauer
  • Lia Phanthavong
  • Joshua Woosley

2015-16

  • Abigail Dockum
  • Nicholas Timmerman
  • Katelyn Zingg

2014-15

  • Sylvia Bochner
  • Rachel Gentile
  • Emily Hegranes
  • Ryan Kunkle
  • Zachary Sanders

Hamod/Habhab/Keeshan Family Scholarship
Formerly Kay Keeshan Hamod Scholarship

2024

  • Elisa Burba

2023

  • Max Halbach 

2022

  • Talia Hill

Kay Keeshan Hamod Scholarship

2021
  • Jack Lauer
2020
  • Emily Bronswick
2019
  • Cameron Moeller
2018
  • Mila Kaut
2017
  • Megan Ryan

Outstanding Academic Achievement
  • 2024
    • Max Halbach
    • Sabrina Leistikow
  • 2023
    • Roxanna Barbulescu
    • Austin Meeks
    • Miriam Ochs
  • 2022
    • Sophia Gilbert
    • John Reasoner
  • 2021
    • Carly Heying
    • Allison Steger
  • 2020
    • Cameron Moeller
    • Michael Steffen
  • 2019
    • Joseph Steinbronn
    • Joshua Woosley
    • Sarah Francisco
    • Nicholas Dolan

Outstanding Student Service
  • 2024
    • Kate Dennis
    • Owen King
    • Joseph Woitach
    • Leighton Barnes
  • 2023
    • Kate Dennis
    • Nicole Gilbert
  • 2022
    • Megan McEvoy
  • 2020
    • Sydney DeBoer
  • 2019
    • Mila Kaut

Stow Persons Award for Best Honors Thesis
  • 2024
    • Daniel Ocon
    • Amelia Williams
  • 2023
    • Leighton Barnes
    • Allison Clark
  • 2022
    • Reagan Hart
    • Jack Lauer
  • 2021
    • Emily Bronswick
    • Carly Heying
  • 2020
    • Emily Lefeber
    • Cameron Moeller
  • 2019
    • Mila Kaut
  • 2018
    • Abby Dockum
    • Rebekah Gansemer
  • 2017
    • Cormac Broeg
  • 2016
    • Ryan Kunkle
  • 2015
    • Ashley Wiser

William L.M. & William E. Burke Scholarship
  • 2024
    • Adeline Bradley
    • Joy Curry
    • Zack Paulsen
  • 2023
    • William Broadston Irvine
  • 2022
    • Leighton Barnes
    • Phoebe Dillard

William Eugene Wolters Scholarship
  • 2023
    • Anna Behrens
    • Emma Caster
    • Max Halbach
    • Gretchen Klock
    • Cameron LaPage
    • Ismael Levya
    • Kaitlyn Walter
    • Yardley Whalen
  • 2022
    • Nicole Gilbert
    • Daniel Hettrick
    • Talia Hill
  • 2021
    • Megan Christianson
    • Jack Kamp
    • Jack Lauer
  • 2020
    • Megan McEvoy
    • Keagen Coates
  • 2019
    • Sydney DeBoer

Alan B. Spitzer Scholarship
  • 2024
    • Kaleb Schlatter
    • Tobias Wood
  • 2023
    • Ismael Leyva
    • Yardley Whalen
  • 2022
    • Max Halbach
  • 2021
    • Charlie Bell
  • 2020
    • Christian Lunsford
    • Nathan Bryk
  • 2019
    • Michael Steffen

Melissa Harmeyer Scholarship
  • 2023
    • Kate Dennis
  • 2021
    • Emily Bronswick
  • 2020
    • Hanna Haack

Additional University of Iowa undergraduate research funding

See complete list of scholarships listed at the University of Iowa Scholarship Portal. 

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences scholarships

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences also awards scholarships to students continuing coursework in a major within the college. Some scholarships are open to all liberal arts and sciences students and others are for select liberal arts and sciences majors. 

View CLAS Scholarships