May 5, 2016 - The history department honored several students and a history alumnus at its annual awards banquet on May 5, 2016. The Rutledge Honorary History Club sponsored the occasion, where Angie Baker Nichols served as the featured speaker, the history club inducted new officers, and Dr. Stephen Carls oversaw the presentation of awards. Thirty-two people attended the event.
Nichols focused her presentation on her experiences in the field of public history. More specifically, she talked about her work in Nashville at the Hermitage and the Belmont Mansion. One of her experiences involved going through a tornado while working at the Hermitage. At her suggestion, the Hermitage adopted the policy of training all workers in basic knowledge about Andrew Jackson and his presidency. Banquet attendees were very engaged in what she had to say, and several people asked questions at the end of her presentation. She currently has her own consulting firm called ABN Design Group.
History Club President Kathryn Mitchell conducted the induction of the club’s officers for 2016-2017. The officers included: Kathryn Mitchell, president; Ali Renckens, vice-president; Jessica Barton, secretary; and Katherine Cheshire, senator.
The department recognized a number of students for their academic accomplishments and service to the department. Allen Bradley and Olivia Winters received History Minor Awards for their outstanding academic achievement in the history courses they took for the minor. Certificates of recognition and books went to four students for their excellent paper presentations at the Tennessee Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference at Union University on April 1: Jeremy Ebert, Kathryn Mitchell, Jordan Sellers, and Olivia Winters. Nicholas Hancock and Allen Bradley received certificates of appreciation for their service as president and vice president of Union’s Delta-Psi chapter of Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society in 2015-2016. And Kathryn Mitchell was the recipient of a certificate for her work as president of the Rutledge Honorary History Club.
The evening concluded with the presentation of the history department’s Eighth Annual History Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award to J. Jason Williams. He graduated summa cum laude from Union University with a double major in history and biology in 1996. As a student at Union, he was president of the Delta-Psi chapter of Phi Alpha Theta and a member of Alpha Chi Honor Society. He earned a master’s degree in biology from the University of Louisville in 1999, and eventually went to Vanderbilt Law School where he graduated summa cum laude in 2005. While a law student, he served as a Vanderbilt Law Review editor, and was made a member of the Order of the Coif, which recognizes those who have achieved a very high level of scholarship as law students. Since 2005, Williams has worked as an intellectual property attorney at Jones Day, the largest law firm in the United States, and one of the ten largest law firms in the world. Along the way, he has written several articles dealing with patent law and worked as a volunteer for the Atlanta Community Food Bank and United Way. He currently serves as a board member of the Jerusalem House, a nonprofit organization in Atlanta.
Dr. Keith Bates prepares to give the invocation at the History Department Awards Banquet on May 5, 2016.
Attendees go through the buffet line at the history awards banquet on May 5, 2016.
Attendees at the History Department Awards Banquet on May 5, 2016, engage in conversation and wait in line to get their food. In the foreground on the left are Jessica Barton and Dr. David Thomas (seated).
Angie Baker Nichols talks about public history as the feature speaker at the Department of History Awards Banquet on May 5, 2016.
Featured banquet speaker Angie Baker Nichols (standing) and others smile at a comment made during a question and answer session following her talk at the History Department Awards Banquet on May 5, 2016. Photo by Mikassa Cotton
Rutledge Honorary History Club President Kathryn Mitchell (right, standing) conducts the oath of office for new officers Katherine Cheshire (left to right, standing), Jessica Barton, and Ali Renckens at the history awards banquet on May 5, 2016. Photo by MiKalla Cotton
Rutledge Honorary History Club President Kathryn Mitchell leads fellow club officers in their oath of office at the History Department Awards Banquet on May 5, 2016.
Dr. David Thomas (left) presents a History Minor Award to Allen Bradley at the history awards banquet on May 5, 2016. Photo by MiKalla Cotton
Olivia Winters receives congratulations from Dr. David Thomas at the history awards banquet on May 5, 2016, for winning a History Minor Award. Photo by MiKalla Cotton
Dr. Henry Allen (left) congratulates Nicholas Hancock at the history awards banquet on May 5, 2016, for his third place award in the Dr. James Alex Baggett History Research Paper Competition. Photo by MiKalla Cotton
Lauren Geary accepts the second place award in the Dr. James Alex Baggett History Research Paper Competition from Dr. Henry Allen at the history awards banquet on May 5, 2016. Photo by MiKalla Cotton
Dr. Keith Bates (left) presents a certificate of commendation and a book to Jeremy Ebert at the history awards banquet on May 5, 2016, for Jeremy's outstanding paper presentation at the Tennessee Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference on April 2. Photo by MiKalla Cotton
Kathryn Mitchell receives a certificate of commendation and a book from Dr. Keith Bates at the history awards banquet on May 5, 2016, for her excellent paper presentation at the Tennessee Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference on April 2. Photo by MiKalla Cotton
Dr. Keith Bates presents a certificate of commendation and a book to Jordan Sellers at the History Department Awards Banquet on May 5, 2016, for the excellent paper she presented at the Tennessee Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference on April 2. Photo by MiKalla Cotton
Dr. Keith Bates presents a certificate of commendation and a book to Olivia Winters at the history awards banquet on May 5, 2016, for the excellent paper that she presented at the Tennessee Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference on April 2. Photo by MiKalla Cotton
Dr. Stephen Carls presents a certificate of appreciation to Allen Bradley at the history awards banquet on May 5, 2016, for his work as the vice president of Union University's Delta-Psi chapter of Phi Alpha Theta in 2015-2016. Photo by MiKalla Cotton
Dr. Stephen Carls (left) congratulates Nicholas Hancock at the history awards banquet for his work as Phi Alpha Theta president in 2015-2016. Photo by MiKalla Cotton
Dr. Lindley congratulates Kathryn Mitchell at the history awards banquet on May 5, 2016, for her work as president of the Rutledge Honorary History Club in 2015-2016. Photo by MiKalla Cotton
Dr. Stephen Carls (right, standing) shares a bit of humor during his presentation of J. Jason Williams (left, standing) as the 2016 recipient of the History Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award at the history awards banquet on May 5, 2016. Photo by MiKalla Cotton
J. Jason Williams receives congratulations from Dr. Stephen Carls at the history awards banquet on May 5, 2016, as the recipient of the 2016 History Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award. Photo by MiKalla Cotton
J. Jason Williams shares a few comments after receiving the History Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award at the history awards banquet on May 5, 2016. Photo by Mikalla Cotton
History department faculty members stand with J. Jason Williams (third from left), the 2016 recipient of the History Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award, following the history awards banquet on May 5, 2016. The history faculty members are (left to right) Dr. Keith Bates, Dr. Henry Allen, Dr. David Thomas, Dr. Stephen Carls, and Dr. Terry Lindley. Photo by MiKalla Cotton
Dr. Keith Bates (left) and J. Jason Williams, winner of the 2016 History Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award, stand together following the history awards banquet on May 5, 2016. They were classmates at Union University in the 1990s. Photo by MiKalla Cotton
J. Jason Williams holds his History Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award following the history awards banquet on May 5, 2016.