Dr. Neil Oatsvall, a history instructor at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, has been named the 2020 Arkansas History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is the nation’s leading organization dedicated to K-12 American history education. Inaugurated in 2004, the award highlights the crucial importance of history education by honoring exceptional American history teachers from elementary school through high school. The award honors one K-12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and U.S. Territories. In fall 2020, the National History Teacher of the Year will be selected from the pool of state winners.
Oatsvall attributed the honor to his students’ classroom efforts and the inspiration from his fellow educators. As an alumnus of the University of North Carolina, Oatsvall referenced Basketball Hall of Fame and longtime Tar Heels coach Dean Smith’s approach to accepting recognition for achievements.
“When Dean Smith won his first national championship in 1982, he declared that winning the big game did not make him any better of a coach than he had been before it,” Oatsvall said. “In the spirit of Coach Smith, I am honored to accept this award in the name of my students and ASMSA. No teacher could have ever asked for a better set of students or place to be with them in the classroom. Any recognition I receive is truly a testament to the brilliance and hard work of my students and the standards of excellence set every day by my talented colleagues.”
Oatsvall completed his undergraduate work at the University of North Carolina in Asian Studies (Japanese language) and history. He received his master’s degree from North Carolina State University and his doctorate from the University of Kansas, both in history. Oatsvall currently serves as the chair of the Humanities and Fine Arts Department and serves as a history and social science instructor at ASMSA.
He has published in various outlets, including Agricultural History, Environment and History, and Gastronomica: The Journal of Critical Food Studies. His book manuscript is under advanced contract with the University of Alabama Press. Oatsvall transfers his passion for history research into his teaching at ASMSA, especially in his United States history classes and humanities capstone research class, which he co-teaches.
In addition to a $1,000 honorarium, ASMSA will receive a core archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials and recognition at a ceremony in Arkansas.
Now celebrating its 25th year, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History was founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, lifelong supporters of American history education. The Institute is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the general public. Its mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources.
At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, an archive of American history. Drawing on the 70,000 documents in the Gilder Lehrman Collection and an extensive network of eminent historians, the Institute provides teachers, students and the general public with direct access to unique primary source materials.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is supported through the generosity of individuals, corporations and foundations. The Institute’s programs have been recognized by awards from the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Organization of American Historians and the Council of Independent Colleges.