The 2006 annual meeting of the Business History Conference (BHC) will take place June 8-10 in Toronto, Canada, at the Munk Centre for International Studies of the University of Toronto.

The theme for the conference is Political Economy of Enterprise. Business, the political system, and government have influenced one another from time immemorial. This year's program theme invites us to reflect on those interactions. What institutional frameworks have been more, and less, conducive to business enterprise? What has been the relationship of political leadership to business success and failure? How has government promoted business and innovation? How have regulation, taxation, and subsidies affected business? In what areas of business has government taken the most interest, and why? When does business corrupt government, and vice versa? How have globalization and multi-national corporations affected traditional business-government relations? What have been and are the effects on business enterprise of free trade areas such as NAFTA, of customs unions such as the EU, and of international organizations such at the WTO, the IMF, and the World Bank? The program committee invites proposals exploring such questions and the general theme of political economy of enterprise in a variety of historical contexts. Given that our meetings will be in Canada, we would like especially to encourage proposals for papers on Canadian business history and on the extent to which Canadian and U.S. scholarship on political economy differs. (In keeping with longstanding BHC policy, the committee will also entertain submissions not directly related to the conference theme).

Potential presenters may submit proposals either for individual papers or for entire panels. Individual paper proposals should include a one-page abstract and a one-page curriculum vitae (cv). The abstract should summarize the argument of the paper, the sources on which it is based, and its relationship to existing scholarship. Each panel proposal should include a cover letter stating the rationale for the session, a one-page abstract and author’s cv for each proposed paper (up to three), and a list of preferred chairs and commentators with contact information.

Proposals also are invited for the Herman E. Krooss Prize for the best dissertation in business history. The Krooss Prize Committee welcomes submissions from recent Ph.D.s (2003-6) in history, economics, business administration, history of science and technology, law, and related fields. To participate in this competition, please indicate this in a cover letter, and include a one-page cv and one-page dissertation abstract. Semi-finalists will be asked to submit copies of their dissertation after initial review of proposals. Finalists will present summaries of their dissertations at the Toronto meeting.

Doctoral candidates who would like to have their dissertations discussed can participate in special dissertations-in-progress sessions. Submit a cover letter to this effect, along with a one-page cv and one-page dissertation abstract, clearly indicating the submission is a dissertation abstract.

BHC also awards the K. Austin Kerr Prize for the best first paper by a Ph.D. candidate or recent Ph.D. (2003-6). If you wish to participate in this competition, please indicate this in your proposal. Proposals accepted for the Krooss Prize panel and the dissertations-in-progress sessions are not eligible for the Kerr Prize.

The deadline for receipt of all proposals is 15 October 2005. Notification of acceptances will be sent by January 2006. Presenters will be expected to submit abstracts of their papers for posting on the BHC website. In addition, presenters are encouraged to post electronic versions of their papers prior to the meeting, and to submit their papers for inclusion in our on-line proceedings publication, Business and Economic History On-Line. The BHC also offers graduate students who are presenting papers grants to offset some of the costs of attending the conference.

Please send all proposals to:
Dr. Roger Horowitz
Secretary-Treasurer
Business History Conference
P. O. Box 3630
Wilmington, DE 19807, USA
Phone: (302) 658-2400
fax: (302) 655-3188
email: rh@udel.edu.

The program committee: Mark Rose (chair), Florida Atlantic University; Rick Halpern, University of Toronto; Pamela Laird, University of Colorado-Denver; H. V. Nelles, McMaster University; Rowena Olegario, Vanderbilt University; and Richard Sylla (BHC president-elect, 2004-5), New York University.

The Newcomen Dissertation Colloquium will be held in conjunction with the 2006 BHC annual meeting. This intensive workshop, sponsored by BHC through the generous support of the Newcomen Society of the United States, will take place at the conference venue Wednesday evening, June 7, and Thursday, June 8. Participants will work closely with a small, distinguished group of BHC-affiliated scholars, including at least two of its officers. The assembled scholars and students will review dissertation proposals, consider relevant literatures and research strategies, and discuss the business history profession. Limited to ten students, it is intended for doctoral candidates in the early stages of their dissertation projects. Those interested in participating should submit to Roger Horowitz, BHC Secretary-Treasurer (rh@udel.edu), a statement of interest, a preliminary or final dissertation prospectus, and a cv. Please make clear that you are interested in the Dissertation Colloquium. One recommendation from the dissertation supervisor (or prospective supervisor) should also be faxed (302 655-3188) or emailed to Roger Horowitz by January 15, 2005. The review committee will notify all applicants of its decisions by March 1st. A grant from the Newcomen Society of the United States will provide each participant with a $300US honorarium.