The Society for History in the Federal Government (SHFG) Annual Meeting

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January 31, 2014 - 5:00 pm CFP Deadline

Annual Meeting

The Society for History in the Federal Government (SHFG)

CALL for PAPERS

“Federal History and the Public Audience”

April 4–5, 2014

Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies
Shepherdstown, West Virginia

• Proposals are due by January 31, 2014
•  All inquiries may be sent to:shfg2014@gmail.com

It is well known that federal historians serve policymakers in their respective institutions, providing background information and historical context for informed governmental decisions.  Yet, federal historians and others who produce historical work also play a unique and important role in providing crucial information and historical context for an informed citizenry.  In nearly every agency of the government, from the National Park Service to the Department of Defense, these professionals work to educate citizens about the history of the United States and to make government processes more transparent. The Annual Meeting will explore the many ways in which federal historians enrich the public sphere and contribute to the public dialogue, as well as the tensions inherent is serving multiple audiences.

The program committee invites proposals on a broad array of topics including, but not limited to, congressional history, military history, history of civil rights, foreign relations, history of the judiciary, historical sites and interpretation, digital history, oral history, records management, government openness verses secrecy, and the challenges of declassification.

We encourage panels composed of practitioners with a variety of backgrounds and experiences including federal historians, public historians, academic historians, park rangers, archivists, preservationists, records managers, and those who work in declassification of federal records.  The Program Committee particularly welcomes participation from graduate students contemplating careers in federal history. The SHFG welcomes both members and non-members to participate in the annual meeting.   Full panel or roundtable proposals are preferred; however the Program Committee will consider individuals papers.

Guidance for Submissions 

Panel submissions should include: a panel title and session abstract of no more than 400 words; contact information, affiliation, and brief biographical statement for each participant; and a prospectus of no more than 250 words for each presentation.

Individual submissions should include a title, a 250-word abstract and brief biographical statement. All submissions should note whether or not they will require multimedia services. Presenters must register for the conference.

Proposals are welcome immediately; the submission deadline is January 31, 2014. Successful candidates will be notified in early February 2014.

Please email proposals and all inquiries to: shfg2014@gmail.com

Presenters are invited to submit drafts of their papers for possible publication in Federal History, SHFG’s journal, in print and online:http://shfg.org/shfg/publications/federal-history-journal

Program committee chairs:
Carl Ashley, SHFG,  shfg@cashley.org
Terrance Rucker, SHFG, Terrance.Rucker@mail.house.gov

Hotel Information  

The SHFG Annual Meeting will be held in the Robert C. Byrd Center on the campus of Shepherd University.  SHFG has reserved blocks of rooms at two nearby hotels.

Bavarian Inn (http://www.bavarianinnwv.com/). The room rate is $95 for Thursday, April 4, and $125 for Friday and Saturday, April 5–6. The hotel is a 10-minute walk from the conference center.  Please mention the SHFG meeting when calling to make a reservation. Cutoff date for reserving at the hotel rate is March 4, 2014.

Clarion Hotel (http://www.clarionhotel.com/hotel-shepherdstown-west_virginia-WV012). The room rate is $83 plus tax, per night, for the entire meeting.  The hotel is approximately 1 mile from the conference center.  Please call 304-876-7000 and ask for the “Meeting of the Society for History of the Federal Government Block” to make reservations.  Cut-off date for reserving at the hotel rate is March 3, 2014.