Benoit wins Nels Andrew Cleven Founder’s Paper Prize

Congratulations to our M.A. student, Connor Benoit, for winning one of this year’s Nels Andrew Cleven Founder’s Paper Prizes from Phi Alpha Theta, History Honor Society. The national recognition is for Benoit’s paper “Alexandre Declouet: A Study and Re-examination of Chauvinistic Heritage in Antebellum Louisiana, 1812-1860.” Benoit is a second-year master’s student currently completing his thesis under the direction of Dr. Ian Beamish

This is the second year in a row that one of our graduate students has won the prize. Now-alum Caroline Dugan received it in 2024.

The Nels Andrew N. Cleven Paper Prize honors one of the founders of Phi Alpha Theta, History Honors Society. Cleven established the first chapter of Phi Alpha Theta at the University of Arkansas in 1921. He earned two bachelor’s degrees (PhB and EdB) from the University of Chicago in 1906 before receiving his PhD from the University of Munich in 1913. Cleven envisioned Phi Alpha Theta’s goals to “embrace the ‘entire History of Mankind.’” The paper prize in his name seeks to reward papers that exemplify his initial goal for the organization.