Howard Spodek Prize in World History

Renowned world historian and Temple University Professor Howard Spodek passed away on August 20, 2023. Howard’s legacy is exhibited in the thousands of undergraduate and graduate students who learned from him over his nearly fifty-year career (1972-2020) as a teacher and mentor at Temple University. His intellectual output included one of the most valued introductory world history textbooks published in the last three decades - The World’s History (1996, currently in its 5th edition). Howard was a leading voice in the field of word history, recognized for his accomplishments by the World History Organization in 2016 with the Pioneers in World History Award. In the early 2000s, he played a pivotal role in the creation of the AP World History course, a collaboration with Philadelphia area high school history teachers and assessment specialists from Educational Testing Service and the College Board in Princeton. Howard also continued to serve the community as a regular reader for the annual AP World History Exams. Howard cherished the relationships he built over nearly half a century as a teacher, advisor, mentor, and friend, all the while serving as a beacon to inspire those who follow in his footsteps.

To commemorate and celebrate the important work and life of Howard Spodek and to keep Temple University’s close connection to world history alive, I would like to initiate the Howard Spodek Prize in World History for the James A. Barnes Club, Temple University’s History Graduate Student Organization. Beginning in 2025, this prize in the amount of $200 will be awarded for the best paper in world history presented at the Barnes Club’s Graduate Student Conference in History, a highly respected nationally and internationally recognized graduate student history conference. The award will not only keep the memory of Howard Spodek alive but will also help attract young world history scholars to present their research and gather in Philadelphia.

Knowing Howard’s enthusiasm for the field and his interest in the next generation of scholars, I’m confident he would have loved the idea of playing a continuous role in encouraging and inspiring new scholarship. Please consider supporting the HOWARD SPODEK PRIZE IN WORLD HISTORY by donating to it right from this page.

Sincerely,

Uta Raina