Tenor of Our Times

Jointly produced historical work

Tenor of Our Times is a journal of student historical work jointly produced by the Eta Phi chapter of Phi Alpha Theta and the History and Political Science Department. Tenor represents the best scholarship by our undergraduate students and can be on any historical topic. Submissions are accepted until the end of January. The journal is published in late April.

After a visit to the National Biennial Phi Alpha Theta Conference in January 2012, our students and faculty advisor Julie E. Harris came home energized; our first volume was published in Spring 2012. Since that time, our student editorial staff has increased from three editors to five, with a supporting faculty editorial board drawn from across the globe and a student review board of six-eight sophomores, juniors and seniors. In the Spring of 2015, at the instigation of student editor John Frizzell, Tenor participated in the Phi Alpha Theta Nash Journal Competition. Since then, Tenor has won several Nash Awards.

In 2017, we adopted the current format and platform of the journal. In 2018, the Nash Award began to require journals to select either print or online. Funds for the Nash Award are used to help expand and print the journal the following year. Our readership continues to grow, and we appreciate your support and interest in Tenor and in history. Tenor is available both online and in print form. View all volumes of the journal and the submission guidelines.

The History and 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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