The National Council on Public History invites proposals for sessions, papers, panels, roundtables, poster sessions, and workshops for the 2005 Annual Meeting to be held in Kansas City, Missouri. The theme for this conference will be “Defining Regions: Public Historians and the Culture and Meaning of Region.”

The Program Committee seeks proposals for presentations that explore the many ways in which region informs the work of public historians and the many ways in which public history contributes to our understanding of regional history and identity. The Committee is also interested in exploring how definitions of region shape and are shaped by our different cultural, linguistic and national identities.

Some suggested topics within this theme include:

• indigenous peoples and the idea of region
• issues and challenges in interpreting and preserving regional history
• defining regional boundaries and cultures
• the creation and influence of regional stereotypes and myths
• the impact of mass media, the global economy, and other international forces on local and regional distinctiveness
• the research, acquisition, interpretation and preservation of regional collections

The Program Committee strongly encourages the submission of complete session proposals (including panels and roundtables), but will accept individual papers for consideration as well. Proposals are submitted with the understanding that the committee may build or re-configure sessions in order to create the best possible program. Individuals interested in volunteering to serve as session chairs or commentators are welcome to apply by sending their name and contact information to the Committee.

Deadline for Proposals: 15 February 2004

All proposals must be submitted by e-mail as a Word or WordPerfect document to each of the committee members listed below:

Andy Ambrose, Chair, Atlanta History Center, aambrose@atlantahistorycenter.com
Dee Harris, Smoky Hill Museum, dee.harris@salina.org
Peter Liebhold, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, liebholdp@si.edu
Moriba McDonald, National Park Service, moriba_mcdonald@nps.gov
Craig Pascoe, Center for Georgia Studies, cpascoe@gcsu.edu
Ramon Powers, Ramonpowers@aol.com
Jay Price, Wichita State University, jay.price@wichita.edu
Cathy Stanton, cstanton@tiac.net

All proposals must include the following information:

• A cover page, including the complete mailing address, e-mail, phone number and institutional affiliation of each participant
• An abstract of no more than 500 words for the session as a whole
• A prospectus of no more than 250 words for each paper or presentation
• A two-page vita for each participant
• Identification of any required audio-visual equipment