Scholarships & Awards

The History Department offers thousands of dollars in scholarships and awards to deserving students every year. Scholarships are awarded through the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office and are designated for educational purposes such as fees and student loans. Selection is made by the College of Humanities and Fine Arts Scholarship Committee and the University Scholarship Committee based on scholarship criteria specified by donors and by the students’ scholarship application. Some scholarships are restricted to those students with demonstrated financial need; to be eligible for these scholarships, students must have completed the FAFSA application.

How to Apply

Chico State students submit one campus scholarship application for all Wildcat Scholarships. The Financial Aid Website provides comprehensive information on the process, a link to the application, and information on completing the FAFSA application. In addition, students may contact or visit the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office (Student Services Center room 250) for assistance with both their scholarship application and the FAFSA.

Jacqueline Barnhart Memorial Scholarship

Professor Jacqueline Barnhart taught history at Chico State for more than 20 years and was committed to helping students succeed. Her family and colleagues established this scholarship to honor her memory by providing assistance to undergraduate history majors based on merit and need.

Lois E. Christensen Scholarship

Professor Emerita Lois E. Christensen endowed this scholarship for history undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate high academic achievement and financial need. Professor Christensen served Chico State from 1957-1985. She was recruited to Chico State College by President Kendall and was chair of the History Department. In 1967, President Hill appointed her dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. In 1968, she was honored with a campus-wide distinguished teaching award.

Michael Gillis Scholarship

This scholarship was established to honor the late Professor Michael Gillis and his contributions to the University by providing support to students majoring in history. Professor Gillis received his master’s degree from Chico State in 1979 and began lecturing in the History Department in 1981. He coauthored John Bidwell’s California: Observations and Reflections of a Pioneer, 1841-1900 with his friend and colleague Mike Magliari. He also published Soper-Wheeler Company: A Century of Growing Trees in 2004.

Carl Edwin Hein Scholarship

This scholarship honors the late Professor Carl Hein, who served as a faculty member in the History Department from 1956 to 1985.  An Ohio native who received his Ph.D. in modern European history from the University of Wisconsin, Professor Hein specialized in provincial France, Alsatian social history, and German social and economic issues.  During his long tenure at Chico State, Professor Hein chaired the History Department for several years and was always known for his excellence as a teacher as well as his modesty and compassion. 

Sarah Libby Mahood Merit Scholarship

The family of Sarah Libby Mahood established this scholarship to honor her memory and to enhance the educational experience of high-achieving female history and political science majors who are seniors. Sarah was awarded a degree from Chico State posthumously, receiving honors in history and political science. She had several broadening cultural experiences including studying art and art history in Florence, London, Edinburgh, New York, and British Columbia.

Professor E. I. Miller History Award Scholarship

This scholarship endowment was established in memory Dr. Elmer Isaiah Miller to aid upper-division history undergraduates and graduate students. Professor Miller graduated from the Ohio Normal School in 1890, taught history at Palo Alto High School, and later became principal. In 1898, he began teaching history and political science at the Chico Normal School. He served as interim president of Chico State in 1910 and acting president in 1917-1918. He also helped draft the city of Chico and Butte County charters.

Lew D. Oliver Scholarship

This scholarship was established in honor of Dr. Lew D. Oliver to support high-achieving upper-division undergraduate and graduate students majoring in international relations or history. Beginning in 1943, Dr. Oliver taught history and served as chair of the Social Sciences Division and the History Department. He was selected for an Outstanding Teacher Award in 1969-1970. In 1969, he became Vice-president for Academic Affairs and was appointed Acting President in 1970. Dr. Oliver was active in the community, serving eleven years on the Butte County Planning Commission and also on the Hospital Board. He was a member, and past president, of the California County Planning Commissioners, as well as a member of the Merit System Board of the California Department of Social Welfare.

Geraldine M. Reager Memorial Scholarship

In honor of Geraldine Margaret Reager, her family established this endowed scholarship to provide support to students who reflect her interests in history and teaching. Geraldine was born June 10, 1920, in Orland, California. Her ancestors were early pioneers of Glenn County. Geraldine, or “Aunt Geri,” earned her teaching credential from Chico State in 1951 and taught high school in Biggs, Chester, and Sacramento for more than 30 years, and retired in 1985. She made many contributions as an educator and spent her life caring for others. Geraldine passed away at age 81 in February 2011.

Undergraduate Awards

History Essay Award

This award was established by Emerita faculty Lois E. Christensen to recognize and encourage good writing in the field of history. Selection is made on the basis of a course paper or essay, written to satisfy requirements in any course offered by the Department of History.

Graduate Awards

Research Awards for Graduate Students

Students interested in either the McDonald Award or the McIntosh-Hutchinson Award should contact Professor Magliari for more information. The application deadline for both awards is March 1.Applications for the Glenn and Dorothy Dumke Fellowship are available from the graduate coordinator. Annual application deadline is around April 15.

The Lois McDonald Research Fund Award: up to $500 per year for research support

This award was established by Lois H. McDonald to encourage and support a history graduate student working on an approved thesis topic. Lois earned her M.A. in History from CSU, Chico in 1976 after having raised a family and worked for a number of years. She established this award to facilitate off-campus graduate research. The successful applicant must be a graduate student working on an approved research subject. The money is to be used only for research away from the CSU, Chico campus to cover expenses such as travel costs, lodging, food, photocopying, film, and audio- and videotaping. The research may be conducted at any time during the calendar year.

The Clarence McIntosh-William Hutchinson Graduate Fellowship Award

How can I use this award?

The McIntosh-Hutchinson Graduate Fellowship Award provides up to $10,000 to support students interested in researching the history of California or the American West.  The proceeds can be used to pay graduate tuition and fees and/or defray off-campus research-related expenses such as transportation, fuel, food, lodging, archival use and duplication fees, etc. The award may also be used to cover the costs of attending professional conferences.

Who is eligible?

Any currently enrolled graduate student in the History Department with an approved Masters thesis topic that deals with the history of California or the American West. Students can receive this award twice.

How do I apply?

Submit your prospectus and an itemized budget to the graduate coordinator by March 1. The student(s) selected to receive the award will be notified later in the semester.

About this award

The CSU Chico History Department established this award to honor the memory of Clarence McIntosh and William Hutchinson and to support graduate research on the history of California or the American West. Clarence McIntosh, who died in 1991, frequently lectured on topics relating to John and Annie Bidwell. He was a faculty member at Chico State from 1956 to 1985 and later served as vice president and president of the Butte County Historical Society. William “Hutch” Hutchinson was a well-known local historian, author, and lecturer. He lived in Butte County for 44 years and died in 1990.

The Glenn and Dorothy Dumke Fellowship for Graduate Students in California History: annual awards ranging from $500 to $1,500--open to all CSU graduate students.

This award was established in memory of Dr. Glenn S. Dumke to encourage student scholars engaged in graduate research on the state of California in areas such as public policy, American history, economics, archival management and government. Dr. Dumke was Chancellor of the California State University from 1962 to 1982. Born in Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1917, he received his B.A. and M.A. degrees at Occidental College and his Ph.D. at UCLA. In 1940, Dr. Dumke began his 42-year career in higher education as professor of history and dean at Occidental College, before becoming president of San Francisco State College in 1957. While serving as president, Dr. Dumke was one of the principal architects of the Master Plan for Higher Education in California, which became the blueprint for the State’s higher education system.

The selected scholar is expected to pursue research projects within special CSU library/archival collections. Applications for the Glenn and Dorothy Dumke Fellowship are available from the graduate coordinator. Annual application deadline is around April 15.The History Department is grateful for the generous support of individuals whose gifts support scholarships and awards. For information on establishing a scholarship or award, please contact Daria Booth, Development Director, at 530-898-4054 or dbooth3@csuchico.edu.