National History Day/Texas History Day Special Award
Best Use of Texas Archival Collections
Established in 2016, the purpose of the Texas Historical Records Advisory Board's Best Use of Texas Archival Collections award is to encourage the use of historical records as primary sources created in Texas or held in a Texas repository in support of National History Day in Texas. The awards are intended to recognize junior and senior division projects that utilize archival collections in a substantive way.
National History Day and the Society of American Archivists collaborated on an Archives Toolkit for the student, teacher, archivist, or researcher to provide information on National History Day and how archives can be used in history day projects. Visit National History Day and Archives.
For information and resources from TSLAC, visit: https://www.tsl.texas.gov/arc/nationalhistoryday
2024 Winners
Grant Gillum
Fueling Victory: How the Inch Pipelines Became a Turning Point in World War II
Category: Individual Website (Senior Division)
School: Dripping Springs High School
Adalyn Ramos, Emry Olivarez, Isabelle Howson, Lydia Droege
LBJ: Turning Lives Around
Category: Group Documentary (Junior Division)
School: North Belton Middle School
2023 Winners
Grant Gillum
Power for the People: How LBJ Tamed the Frontiers of Texas Hill Country Electrification
Category: Individual Website (Senior Division)
School: Dripping Springs High School
Alexa Harbour, Brynlee Newberry, Kinleigh Fulton, McKenna Brindley, Swikriti Lamichhane
Me for Ma: A Frontier for Women in Politics
Category: Group Exhibit (Junior Division)
School: North Belton Middle School
2022 Winners
Liceth Meza
Debate and Diplomacy: Perspectives on the Annexation of the Republic of Texas
Category: Individual Exhibit (Senior Division)
School: Bryan Collegiate High School
Annaliese West, Izabella Briones, Sadie Carter
It Lies in the Desert: Tragedy at Porvenir
Category: Group Performance (Junior Division)
School: Marathon Independent School District
2021 Winners
Lily Coffman
Hidden on the "B" Side: Black Gospel Music of the Civil Rights Movement
Category: Individual Documentary (Senior Division)
School: Waco High School
Colton Payne
Resolved: African Americans Found their Voice Through Debate
Category: Individual Documentary (Junior Division)
School: Sante Fe Junior High School
David Bode
Waco's Greatest Photographer: Fred Gildersleeve
Category: Individual Website (Junior Division)
School: Atlas Academy (Waco)
Watch the Texas History Day Award Ceremony
2020 Winners
Lily Coffman
Sandtown Erased: How Geographic and Cultural Barriers Were Broken by Urban Renewal
Category: Individual Documentary (Senior Division)
School: Waco High School
Colton Payne
Barbara Jordan: Breaking Racial and Gender Barriers - Equality for All; Privileges for None
Category: Individual Documentary (Junior Divison)
School: Santa Fe Jr. High School
Texas History Day Virtual Award Ceremony
2019 Winners
Lily Coffman
Leon Jaworski: From Waco to Watergate
Category: Documentary (Senior Division)
School: Waco High School
Hannah Wood, Jordan Cain, Madison Flor, Rebekah McGuire
Before Little Rock: Tragedy in a Small Texas Town
Category: Group Documentary (Junior Division)
School: North Belton Middle School
2018 Winners
Lira Ramirez
José T. Canales, Conflict and Compromise, Tejano Identity in Politics (PDF)
Category: Individual Paper (Senior Division)
School: Firelight Academy
Lily Coffman
The Integration of Waco: A Story Behind the Secret
Category: Individual Documentary (Junior Division)
School: Atlas Academy
2017 Winners
Norah Rami
Oveta Culp Hobby: From Media to Military (Video |Transcript)
Category: Individual Documentary (Junior Division)
School: Sartartia Middle School
Rylee Hernandez and Bryson Ward
Standing Firm in Pursuit of the American Dream (Video | Transcript)
Category: Group Documentary (Senior Division)
School: Taft High School
2016 Winners
Chancellor Aikins and Kathryn Britz
Topic: The Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 (PDF)
Category: Group Documentary (Junior Division)
School: EC Heritage Middle School
Rylee Hernandez
Topic: Borders, Bandits, and One Revolting Plan (PDF)
Category: Individual Paper (Senior Division)
School: Taft High School
Winner Rylee Hernandez with THRAB members Jelain Chubb (left) and Malinda Cowen (right)
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