Duluth Students Take First Place at National History Day Contest

More Than 500,000 Students Competed

DULUTH, Minn. – Two Duluth students won first place in the Junior Group Exhibit category at the national finals for the National History Day Contest at the University of Maryland, College Park on June 14.

Colin McShane and Chase Baumgarten took the top prize with their project titled, The U.S. Government vs. the Reserve Mining Company: A Compromise of Environment and Industry.

Both students attend Stella Maris Academy – St. John’s Campus in Duluth and received a $1,000 cash prize sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the title of NEH Scholar.

Contest officials say that more than half a million students from all 50 states, and some international schools, competed in this year’s contest.

“The National History Day Contest requires intensive research and analytical thinking skills,” said National History Day Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “Each student involved in the competition spends countless hours researching, writing, and editing. Only the top projects make it to the National Contest and it requires a truly superb entry to win. These students should be proud of this accomplishment.”

National History Day is a nonprofit organization based in College Park that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history.