Tenor of Our Times

The History & Political Science Department of Harding University, Tenor of Our Times, and the Eta Phi chapter of Phi Alpha Theta are proud to announce the Fred Jewell memorial Historical Essay contest. This contest is for high school students grade 10-12.

The theme is Leaders in History. Entries will be accepted from June 1st - Jan. 15th of each year. Winning students will have their essay published in Tenor of Our Times and there will be a cash prize of $100 for first place and $50 for second place.

Students should choose a historical figure who was a leader in their country, time, or field (literature, military, music, film, science, sport, politics, etc.). A successful essay should have a clear thesis and utilize primary sources, as available. Essays are to be 800-1,000 words in length, use 12 point Times New Roman font, and include a Works Cited page (MLA, APA, CHICAGO).

For further questions, email tenortimes@harding.edu. Please include your name, grade, and contact email. The application for submission is linked to the QR code on this page.

Fred R. Jewell was the definition of a gentleman and a scholar. Dr. Jewell taught at Harding from 1968-2009 and trained generations of historians and teachers, who remember him with great respect and affection. He was happily married for 59 years to Dr. Mrs. Alice Jewell. His 42.5 year career spanned 11 Summer Olympics, 7 U.S. presidential administrations, 4 wars, 3 recessions, and countless political scandals. He served as an elder at the College Church of Christ, and went on numerous mission trips to Russia, Scotland, Albania, Finland and elsewhere. He was the advisor for the Eta Phi chapter of Phi Alpha Theta for 33 years, and also served as the national secretary during the 1980s. He passed from death to life in January 2023, leaving a legacy of his Christ-like leadership through kindness, excellence, godliness, and commitment. He approved this essay contest, as long as he did not have to grade the essays.

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