In 2006 OAH, in conjunction with the University of Nebraska Department of History, will host its third regional conference. Its aim is to reach members and other historians and teachers with an interest in the Midwest and Great Plains. The regional hopes to involve those located in the Midwest at community colleges and high schools, and those employed in government, museums, and the private sector as well as in four-year colleges and major universities. The conference also seeks to encourage graduate students, who will soon serve in these diverse capacities, to get involved in professional activities early in their careers.

The regional conference will be held in Lincoln, Nebraska, near the campus of the University of Nebraska, at the Cornhusker Hotel, July 6-8, 2006. Its special purpose is to launch the centennial celebration of the Organization of American Historians, which was founded as the Mississippi Valley Historical Association in Lincoln. The committee would like to use this opportunity to celebrate the Midwestern roots of the OAH and to allow historians in and of the Midwest to share their work. The benefit of a regional conference is that its size allows for close engagement with other historians practicing in diverse settings. Considerable attention at this conference will also be paid to professional development and the practice of history both in classrooms and in public settings in the Midwest.

The committee invites proposals for panels, workshops, roundtables, poster sessions, and performances, and is open to proposals that take place offsite as well as onsite. We prefer proposals for complete sessions, but will consider individual proposals as well. In addition to proposals that reflect the conference theme, we welcome submissions that explore other issues and themes in American history. The committee hopes to receive proposals from an array of disciplinary and interdisciplinary areas, including politics, religion, business and economics, agriculture, the environment, race, labor, gender, sexuality, diplomatic, and military. The committee looks forward to sessions that include or focus on the histories of African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos, immigrants, and diverse ethnic groups.

Teaching sessions are also welcome, particularly those involving the audience as active participants or those that reflect collaborative partnerships among teachers, historians, and other history educators. Topics may cover any pedagogical issue or technique, at any level, from K-12 through postsecondary.

We encourage presenters to break away from the conventional academic session format. The committee recognizes the importance of engaging the audience in a compelling manner, and envisions a conference that is dynamic, innovative, and interactive. Meeting participants are therefore encouraged to present or teach their material rather than read their papers aloud. We also encourage proposals for online sessions exploring digital history, roundtables, debates, poster sessions, visual and musical performances, workshops, films, and other appropriate formats. Session lengths may vary from one to three hours, and proposers should specify the desired time frame for their panels.

The committee will work to have the program represent the full diversity of the OAH. We urge proposers who submit sessions, wherever possible, to include presenters of both sexes, members of ethnic and racial minorities, independent scholars, public historians, and American historians from outside the U.S. We also encourage panels that include a mix of junior scholars, senior academics, and graduate students; as well as a mix of four- and two-year college professors and precollegiate teachers.

Submission Procedure
Proposals should be submitted electronically beginning May 1, 2005, at . Complete session proposals must include a chair, participants, and, if pplicable, one or two commentators. All proposals must include the following information:

1. a complete mailing address, email, phone number, and affiliation for each participant;

2. an abstract of no more than 500 words for the session as a whole;

3. a prospectus of no more than 250 words for each presentation; and

4. a vita of no more than 500 words for each participant. Each participant is required to register online and update his/her biographical and presentation information. Questions about electronic submissions should be imailed to the meetings department.

   We also welcome volunteers to act as chairs or commentators to be assigned by the program committee. Interested volunteers should email meetings department no later than August 1, 2005.

   All proposals must be received no later than August 1, 2005, at the above website.

   Participation in Consecutive OAH Meetings
   The Program Committee encourages participation by people who have not presented at the previous annual meeting. Individuals may apear only once on the program.

   Membership Requirements
   All participants must register for the meeting. Participants who specialize in American history and support themselves as American historians are also required to be members of the OAH. Participants representing other disciplines do not have to be members.

   2006 Midwest Regional Conference Program Committee
   Victoria Bissell Brown, Cochair, Grinnell College
   Kenneth J. Winkle, Cochair, University of Nebraska
   Donald L. Fixico, Arizona State University
   Dennis N. Mihelich, Creighton University
   Ronald C. Naugle, Nebraska Wesleyan University
   Lydia R. Otero, University of Arizona
   Stephen J. Pitti, Yale University
   William C. Pratt, University of Nebraska, Omaha
   James A. Rawley, University of Nebraska
   Virginia Scharff, University of New Mexico
   Donald L. Stevens Jr., National Park Service