For the second year in a row, an East Tennessee History Day project has won gold at the National History Day competition.
Sevier County High School students Rebecca Derby and Rachel Emond captured first place in the Senior Group Exhibit at the thirty-third annual Kenneth E. Behring National History Day at the University of Maryland at College Park.
Derby and Edmond qualified for the national competition by winning first place at the twelfth annual East Tennessee History Day district contest in March at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and then going on to win second place at the Tennessee History Day state contest in April at Legislative Plaza in Nashville.
East Tennessee’s History Day is co-sponsored by the East Tennessee Historical Society and UT’s Department of History.
Derby and Edmond’s project—Ignition of a Revolution: The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911—examined the historic fire in New York City that killed 146 workers as well as the labor reforms and Shirtwaist Strike of 1909 that preceded it.
Each year, more than half a million students across the country participate in the National History Contest. Participants choose a historical topic related to the annual theme of the competition, conduct research, and then present their work in paper, exhibit, performance, documentary, or website form.
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C O N T A C T :
Tom Burman (865-974-7082, tburman@utk.edu)