Francis Marion hosts history honors society

Francis Marion University’s award-winning chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honors Society is hosting the society’s 2017 Regional Meeting this weekend on the FMU campus.

Students and faculty from colleges and universities across the southeast will gather to present papers and original research, and to debate historical topics with guests panelists. Phi Alpha Theta is one of the nation’s oldest honors societies.

Its membership includes more than 400,000 undergraduate, graduate and history professors as members and 970 chapters nationwide. The FMU chapter – Alpha Theta Zeta – has become one of the chapters in the nation in recent years.

The chapter has won numerous awards. It’s won seven consecutive “Best Chapter in the Nation” honors in its division (based on university size) and recently received the Founder’s Award as the nation’s best overall chapter.

Francis Marion University History faculty founded the university’s chapter in 1996. From the outset, the chapters organizers insisted upon maintaining a consistent level of activity, including community service projects, guest lectures, and various visits to historic locations.