History Fair at Historic Pensacola Village
A proud sponsor . . .
From the beginning of the Escambia County History Fair competition, WFHPI and the Pensacola Historical Society have been a proud supporter in many ways and the tradition continues by hosting the annual county competition in February. Hundreds of teachers, parents and excited students arrive to share their hard work and discoveries about a wide range of history topics through various media such as exhibit boards, documentaries, web sites, research papers and dramatic presentations.
Please join us this year . . .
Save the date!
This year's competition is February 20-21, 2012. Student exhibit boards will be displayed in the Museum of Commerce and the Museum of Industry on February 22. The awards ceremony will take place on February 25, 1 pm - 3 pm, in the Museum of Commerce.
We encourage all students from public, private and home schools, to become involved in their own local History Fair competition. The 2012 National History Fair Day theme is: “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.” Please visit the National History Day web site for further information on creating a project.
For information on participating in the county competition, please contact Ms. Cherie Arnette, Escambia County Social Studies Specialist.
Researching local history . . .
History Fair is a great opportunity to connect students with their community and the staff of WFHPI encourages the research of local history topics and the Pensacola Historical Society Resource Center is the place to start! Please view the following links to learn more about our archives, collections and research policies.
To help teachers and students with local history topic ideas that relate to this year's theme, we have compiled a list of suggestions for your research consideration:
- Pensacola and the American Revolution
- Pensacola and the Civil War
- The impact of Jim Crowe Laws in Pensacola
- Integration in the local public school system
- Riots at Escambia High School
- The Race Riots of 1910: Racial Violence in the aftermath of Jack Johnson's heavyweight boxing victory over James Jeffries, July 4, 1910.
- "Drawing the Color Line": African American boxers denied a shot at the Heavyweight Boxing Crown, 1915-1937.
- The End of Minor League Baseball in Pensacola, 1962: The folding of the Southern League for refusing to admit Black ballplayers.
- The revolution and impact of tourism in Florida and Pensacola
- The impact of the Pro-Life movement in Pensacola
More to come!
Awards . . .
We also support special student awards!
Pensacola Historical Society
The Holliday and Mary Veal History Fair Award
The purpose of the Veal Award is to promote life-long student interest in history and to raise awareness of the Pensacola Historical Society through the recognition of local and regional History Fair topics in student exhibit board projects. Winners of the Veal Award receive a monetary prize, certificate and a WFHPI family membership.
T. T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum
The "Best of Show" Exhibit Award
WFHPI staff selects a group of exhibit board projects every year that demonstrate creativity, dedication and research skills. These students are invited to display their work in the T. T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum during the summer as part of the "Best of Show" History Fair exhibit.
All winners are invited to participate in a special exhibit opening and reception in June.
Click here to see a list of the 2011 winners.
History of the Veal Award and the Pensacola Historical Society
The Veal family of Pensacola has supported the Pensacola Historical Society and its mission of preserving, exhibiting and providing educational programming of Pensacola's history for over forty years. The heart of this family was Mary Riley Veal, a native Pensacolian who loved her hometown and its rich history. She and her husband, J. Holliday Veal, contributed much to the preservation of Pensacola's history. Mary in particular gave generously of her time, money and talents, serving as a board member and treasurer for the Pensacola Historical Society for twenty-five years. Today, their son, Jim Veal, and his family wish to honor the memory of his parents through the Holliday and Mary Veal History Fair Award.
