Phi Alpha Theta, History Society

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The Kean University History Department is a proud sponsor of a local chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society, founded in 1921 and now sponsoring over 800 chapters with nearly 300,000 members. As its Mission Statement says, Phi Alpha Theta is “a professional society whose mission is to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians. We seek to bring students, teachers and writers of history together for intellectual and social exchanges, which promote and assist historical research and publication by our members in a variety of ways.”

National Headquarters

PHI ALPHA THETA HISTORY HONOR SOCIETY
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
4202 EAST FOWLER AVE, SOC107
TAMPA, FL 33620

PHONE: (800) 394-8195
(813) 974-8212
FAX: (813) 974-8215
EMAIL: phialpha@phialphatheta.org
Website: www.phialphatheta.org

Kean University Chapter Advisor: Dr. Christopher Bellitto, cbellitt@kean.edu

Eligibility

In February of each year, students are invited by letter to join Phi Alpha Theta. The Kean University History Department has determined that eligible students must:
1. hold a 3.0 overall GPA, with a 3.3 in History courses
2. have taken 45 credits, with at least 12 in History
3. have History as their First or Second Major

Initiation

Upon paying their dues, new members are initiated at the History Department’s annual dinner in April, where a distinguished speaker offers comments on the state of the History profession, the role of History today, or some aspect of their own research and writing. In 2005, the distinguished guest speaker was David Gibson, media commentator, former correspondent for Vatican Radio, and the author of The Coming Catholic Church: How the Faithful are Shaping a New American Catholicism (HarperSanFrancisco, 2003).

Benefits

Apart from the obvious honor and prestige of membership, members are eligible for cash awards, prizes, and scholarships, which are awarded annually. In addition, annual payment of dues subscribes the member to The Historian, a distinguished quarterly with articles written by members with interests in all fields of History. It also contains numerous reviews of scholarly books and other items of interest. The Historian is one of the most widely circulated scholarly historical journals published in the United States.