Midwestern History Association

Midwestern History Association

About

The Midwestern History Association was formed to advocate for greater attention to Midwestern history among professional historians, rebuild the infrastructure necessary for the study of the American Midwest, and offer prizes to scholars who excel in the study of the Midwest. Membership in the association provides individuals the opportunity to network with like-minded scholars and to stay informed with news about upcoming conferences' calls for papers and panel proposals. A subscription to the association's official journal, Middle West Review, is available as part of a membership bundle.
  • Memberships run from January 1 to December 31. If there is any question about which membership year you are ordering, contact UNP Journals Customer Service.
  • Electronic subscriptions run 365 days from the date of order, independent of the membership year.
  • Print subscriptions correspond to the membership year.
  • Lifetime memberships include an ongoing subscription to the print version of Middle West Review.

Society Benefits

Announcements

2022 Conference--"Many Midwests"
The Eighth Annual Midwestern History Conference is scheduled for May 19-20, 2022 as a hybrid event. The in-person component will be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Building on last year’s theme of the "Midwest at the Intersection of Past and Present", papers relating to all aspects of the history of the American Midwest are invited. Through this year’s theme of "Many Midwests", submissions that examine and contextualize the Midwest in both place and identity are welcomed. The use of visual aids, digital media, and interactive elements to be incorporated into panel presentations, making them as engaging as possible for a hybrid audience are encouraged.

Proposals are being accepted now through Friday, January 7, 2022. Details are available here.

 

Society Officers

The Midwestern History Association is lead by scholars and activists from around the United States. 

Officers

President - Jeff Wells, University of Nebraska at Kearney

Vice President and President-Elect - Megan Birk, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Secretary - Renée Gaarder, Purdue University

Treasurer - Patrick Popisek, Grand Valley State University 

Social Media Director - Cory Haala, Honors College, University of Houston

Press Director - Brady Winslow, Independent Scholar

Board of Directors

Kristin Mapel Bloomberg, Hamline University

Jon Lauck, University of South Dakota

Sylvia Rodrigue, Southern Illinois University Press

Sara Phillips, Wisconsin Historical Society

Greg Rose, Ohio State University

Ted Karamanski, Loyola University Chicago

Nicole Etcheson, Ball State University

Edward Frantz, University of Indianapolis

Paula Nelson, University of Wisconsin-Platteville (Emeritus)

James Madison, University of Indiana Bloomington

Joy Ellison, Ohio State University

Ashley Howard, University of Iowa

Doug Kiel, Northwestern University

Andrew Offenburger, University of Miami Ohio

Crystal Moten, National Museum of American History

Affiliated Journals

The Middle West Review is an interdisciplinary journal about the American Midwest and the only publication dedicated exclusively to the study of the Midwest as a region. It provides a forum for scholars and non-scholars alike to explore the contested meanings of midwestern identity, history, geography, society, culture, and politics. What states belong within the Midwest? Is the Midwest inherently rural? Are Chicago and Pacific Junction, Iowa, part of the same region? If so, what links them? What traditions or features define the Midwest? Does the Midwest have a particular economic identity? Is the Midwest “queer”? How does the Midwest’s racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity square with its popular perception as a homogenous space? Is the Midwest “distinctive”? If so, why do Americans often conceive of it as a “normative” site, one divorced from the historical intrigue and conflict of the South and the West? The Middle West Review seeks to examine these and other questions and, in turn, help revitalize the study of the American Midwest.

Resources