Invitation to Host 2015 Southern Conference on Women’s History

The Southern Association for Women Historians seeks an institution as the host for the Tenth Southern Conference on Women’s History to be held in June 2015.

The triennial SAWH conferences typically draw 200 to 300 women and men from across the U.S. for two days of scholarship and fellowship.

One person at the institution will serve as conference coordinator, and she will in turn appoint a program chair who, with her committee, is responsible for the intellectual content of the conference.  The conference coordinator oversees the conference web site, registration (advance and on-site), the printed program, coordination of advertising and exhibits, and local logistics.

The SAWH has historically met on college campuses.  The space that is needed includes:

  • seven or eight classrooms for concurrent sessions, typically held on Friday and Saturday;
  • sites for three plenary sessions, typically held Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings;
  • sites for two seated dinners and a central place to pick up box lunches;
  • dormitory lodging for up to 100 people and a hotel not far away for those who choose not to stay on campus;
  • a location for 25 6-foot tables for exhibits and coffee service;
  • an area for registration;
  • a site for a graduate student mixer, usually held late Thursday night.

While cash contributions from the host institution are most welcome, they are not essential.

Representatives of interested institutions should submit any queries and a letter of interest to Rebecca Sharpless (R.Sharpless@tcu.edu<mailto:R.Sharpless@tcu.edu>) by December 10, 2012.

Southern Conferences on Women’s History:

1988: Converse College, Spartanburg, South Carolina

1991: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

1994: Rice University, Houston, Texas

1997: College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina

2000: University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia

2003: University of Georgia, Athens

2006: University of Maryland, Baltimore

2009: University of South Carolina, Columbia

2012: Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas