With subjects as diverse as the Civil War, The Granger Movement and “The Race to the Moon,” Marshalltown Community School District recently earned its best-ever showing at the Iowa State National History Day (ISNHD) contest April 27 on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames.

A total of 15 students representing Miller Middle School and Marshalltown High School (MHS) then qualified for National History Day (NHD) competition June 14-18 at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., said Susan Hankins Fritzell of MHS.

The event was sponsored by the State Historical Society of Iowa.

Students qualifying for NHD earned the right to compete nationally through presentations of academic papers, one-act plays, and web design before panels of volunteer judges.

In Ames they competed against students from across the state of Iowa who – in like manner – have a passion for history.

The group of Parker Christen, Colby Cross, Jacob Seberger, Preston Johnson, Luke Stalzer and all of MHS – earned the Agricultural History Award for their project: “The Granger Movement: How a Farmers’ Revolution in the Midwest Sparked Nationwide Reformation.”

Ailyn Pappas earned the William D. Bartine award for a project focusing on Civil War history for her paper: “The Civil War Demands Change in Mail: How the United States Post Office Department Revolutionized Correspondence for the People.” Pappas was named an alternate for NHD.

Eduardo Banuelos won the William D. Bartine Award for a project focusing on Civil War history for his website: “The Spark of the Civil War.”

Conner Holman, Josue Corral Coronado, Jaden Schwartz, and Victor Gutierrez Cruz – all of MHS -earned 2nd place and qualified for nationals with their senior group performance: Death and DuPont: How One Lawyer Revolutionized How People Trust Big Corporations.”

Collins Grant, Naysa Rottink and Rachel Sher earned second place and qualified for NHD with their junior group performance: “Jane Goodall: A Scientific Revolution, a Contentious Reaction, and a Reformed Definition of Man.”

Lydia Beek and Winner Moo earned first place and qualified for nationals with their junior group website: “The Stonewall Inn: Catalyst for Revolution, Target of Reaction, and Engine of Reform.”

Jaevier Patel earned first place and qualified for nationals with his senior individual website: “JFK’s Impact on the Space Race: Shooting for the Moon.”

Jose Resendiz & Eliot Heitman were named alternates to the national competition with their junior group exhibit: Mastermind of the March: The Genius of Bayard Rustin.”

The MCSD had 38 students from Lenihan, Miller and MHS qualify for the INHD competition. The students began preparing for competitions in September, said Fritzell. Students select their subjects – and they alone are responsible for research, project development.

Fritzell was recognized by peers for her excellence in history learning and education last year

Similarly, educator Ann Jackson of Miller Middle School was recognized at the Ames event for her contributions to the learning and teaching of history.

She was effusive in her praise of all the competitors.

“Students – on average – spent at least one hour per day researching, interviewing and practicing for presentations and competitions,” she said. “The first was the district competition held earlier this year at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. Winners at that level then moved on the INHD.”

She has been an educator at Miller for 11 years.

“Susan and I are extremely proud of all the students who competed in the contests – regardless if they qualified for nationals or not,” she said. “And we were pleased with the initiative many of them took to interview actual participants from the subjects they covered. For example, the group of Coronado, Cruz, Holman and Schwarz interviewed Robert Bilott – the attorney who represented residents of two West Virginia towns impacted by the release of toxic pollutants into their groundwater and won them a $13.5 billion settlement. Additionally, Beek and Moo interviewed participants involved in the Stonewall Inn (located in New York, City, N.Y.) incidents.”

Fritzell and Jackson were also complimentary of the NHD officials.

Both have worked with staff of National History Day, Inc. of College Park, Maryland over the years.

“The organization is extremely supportive of efforts locally to teach and learn history,” said Jackson.

For more information, visit https://nhd.org.