Thanks to Katherine Pollock for this information!

This is a reminder of the upcoming April 6, 2026 deadlines for the Call for Papers, Student Conference Scholarships, and Award Nominations for John Whitmer Historical Association’s 2026 Annual Conference in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on September 24-26, 2026.

Call for Papers

“The John Whitmer Historical Association (JWHA) invites proposals for its September 24 – 26, 2026, conference that will be held at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Council Bluffs is famous for being the home of the Golden Spike monument, marking the eastern terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad, and home of Amelia Bloomer, famous for her developments in women’s underwear and suffrage activism. While the history of the Latter Day Saint movement in Council Bluffs serves as a compelling microcosm for larger conversations in Mormon Studies, JWHA is seeking paper proposals that delve into the intersections of gender, race, technology, and cultural exchange within and between Latter Day Saint churches and others.”

The word count for proposal abstracts is 100-200 words, and the form to submit proposals can be found HERE.

Student Conference Scholarships

Scholarships for students to attend the conference are available to both undergraduate and graduate students.

A JWHA Conference Scholarship includes:

1. Money Award (amount can vary) received during the conference.

2. Conference registration fees waived.

3. Free Presidential Banquet ticket.

4. Free membership (including JWHA journals) for the following year.

A student will need the following for the scholarship application:

1. Your 100-to-200-word paper proposal (either submitted before or after the scholarship application).

2. A short biographical statement.

3. Ability to attend the full conference.

4. Your contact and school Information.

5. List of your scholarly interests.

6. Willingness to help at conference.

A student will know if they received a conference scholarship at the same time as presenters are notified of their acceptance or not. The form to apply for a conference scholarship can be found HERE.

Award Nominations

The 2026 Award Categories include: Best Historical Article Award (note: chapters from anthologies can also be counted), Best Book, Best Documentary History, Best Biography, and Best Anthology.

For the books/articles nomination form, you’ll need: your name, email, phone number, and address. The title, author or authors, publisher, and date of the publication. Then, you will submit the book or article category for the award, if you can provide a digital or print copy, and if the nomination meets to criteria for the awards. It is not required for you to provide the book or article to make a nomination.

The form to apply for awards nominations can be found HERE.