Undergraduate Programs
Scholarships and Prizes
For more information about the scholarships and prizes listed below, please contact the Department of History main office at (989) 774-3374 or jorda1rr@cmich.edu.
- Duane Mark Bouliew Award
- Mae Teeter History Prize
- Johnie D. Smith Memorial Scholarship
- Dennis Thavenet Study Abroad Award
Duane Mark Bouliew History Award
This scholarship is awarded in memory of Duane Bouliew, who sought to become a teacher and historian and was immersed in the pursuit of historical knowledge from records of real people and events. The donors hope that the recipient will impart both knowledge and compassion, teach but also learn, speak but more often listen, and be a role model as well as a friend. Duane Bouliew is remembered most because he loved people and life; this grant honors those qualities he displayed throughout his life. His family and friends hope that the recipient of this award will use this grant to fulfill personal dreams and goals, seeking excellence not only in knowledge but also in human compassion.
The Duane Bouliew History Prize will be conferred annually in an amount which will be no less than $500. The scholarship must be used for undergraduate study at Central Michigan University or in one of CMU's study-abroad programs.
To qualify for the scholarship a student must:
- be a Central Michigan University student with a junior or senior class rank;
- have a 3.25 GPA or higher in history (with a minimum of 12 hours of history completed at CMU), 3.00 or higher overall GPA and ranking in the top 35% of the class;
- be active in Phi Alpha Theta, the History Club, or other campus and community organizations (with a preference for Phi Alpha Theta and History Club activity).
- Scholarship selection is competitive.
Application and Selection Process
- Students will apply each spring for the scholarship to be given annually the following academic year (the deadline for applications to coincide with applications for graduate assistantships).
- Application materials will include an application form (information on class rank, GPA, etc.), a list of references, a copy of the applicant's transcript, and a list of the applicant's activities. The applicant is also responsible for soliciting letters of recommendation from two members of the Department of History faculty.
- The selection process involves review of the application materials by the Department Personnel Committee and the President of Omicron-Omega or a designated Phi Alpha Theta member.
- Deadline: Applications must reach the Department of History by the first Monday in February of each year.
Deadline: February
Award Amount: $500 or higher
The Mae Teeter History Prize
The Mae Teeter History Prize was established during Mae Teeter's lifetime to support a field of study that provided her with enormous satisfaction. Mrs. Teeter returned to the university after the death of her husband, completed her baccalaureate degree, and then served with VISTA building community centers and aiding elderly Texans with their needs. During her assignment with VISTA, Mrs. Teeter's interest in history continued to grow, and upon her return to Michigan she decided to pursue graduate study at CMU. She was particularly fascinated by women's and family history, ultimately writing and publishing her own family's story for a large contingent of relatives. She completed her studies in history in 1985, graduating with a Masters Degree at age 87. She and her family and friends have endowed the history prize that bears her name. They hope, thereby, to stimulate the zest for historical study that Mae Teeter embodied in her own life.
The Mae Teeter History Prize is awarded annually in an amount not less than $500. The scholarship may be used to pursue either graduate or undergraduate study in history.
To qualify for the scholarship a student must:
- be a Central Michigan undergraduate majoring in history;
- have a distinguished academic record including a minimum GPA of 3.5;
- produce an outstanding essay in a CMU history seminar;
- be elected to Phi Alpha Theta;
- demonstrated future promise and commitment to a career of service;
- write a thoughtful proposal for using the award for continued study in history.
Application and Selection Process
- Students may apply each spring semester for the Mae Teeter History Prize, the award to be made at the spring initiation ceremony of Phi Alpha Theta.
- Applications must include the attached form, a CMU transcript, a copy of the required essay, and two letters of reference from CMU history faculty members.
- Applications will be reviewed by a history department committee chaired by one of Mrs. Teeters' former instructors (as long as they are available).
- Deadline: Applications must reach the Department of History by the first Monday in February of each year.
Deadline: February
Award Amount: $500 or higher
Johnie D. Smith Memorial Scholarship**
Two scholarships awarded annually to undergraduate students studying history:
- Incoming freshman who resides in Saginaw, Midland or Mount Pleasant, is committed to the advancement of minorities in American society, and demonstrates great academic potential; and
- Undergraduate student, of sophomore or higher standing, who is committed to the advancement of minorities in American society and demonstrates an interest in research or scholarly pursuits. Preference given to applicants studying or conducting research in the fields of history and/or African-American history.
Deadline: Contact the Association of Faculty and Staff of Color
Award Amount: $1,000
**This scholarship was established by CMU's Association of Faculty and Staff of Color. Please contact the AFSC at (989) 774-3686 for application information.
Dennis Thavenet Study Abroad Award/History Department
Scholarship will be conferred annually in an amount not less than $500. The scholarship must be used for one of CMU's study-abroad programs (preference given for study in The Netherlands).
Criteria for Selection
- CMU history student with junior or senior class rank
- minimum 3.0 GPA in history
- educational benefit to student's plan of study
- commitment to serious study
- financial need
Application and Selection Process
- Student may apply each spring for the scholarship, to be used during the following academic year.
- Application materials will include an application form, a list of references, a copy of the applicant's transcript, and a list of the applicant's activities. The applicant is also responsible for soliciting letters of recommendation from two members of the Department of History faculty.
- The selection process will be the following: a) review of the application materials by tenured and tenure-track faculty members of the Department of History; and b) notice to the Financial Aid Office of the recipient.
Deadline: February
Award Amount: $500 or higher