Call for Student Papers

The League of World War I Aviation Historians, established exclusively for literary and educational purposes, is a nonprofit organization that publishes the quarterly journal Over the Front. Its goals include the accumulation, preservation and publication of the history and traditions of factual data concerning aerial activity in World War I. To this end, the League sponsors the annual Mike Carr Student Paper Competition, wherein the League awards monetary prizes for the best original paper on any aspect of aviation taking place during the subsequent period of 1914-1918.

Eligibility

The contest is open to high school, undergraduate and graduate students attending any accredited educational institution.

Writing Guidelines

 
  • Subject Matter: The student may choose the subject; however, it must deal with some aspect of aviation during the 1914-1918 World War I years (e.g., personal history, unit history, citations, tactics, technical development, political ramifications, aircraft development, balloon activities, etc.).
 
  • Length: Papers should be at least ten and no more than 20 double-spaced pages (not including endnotes, bibliography or photographs). Consider submitting a shorter version in place of a lengthy dissertation or thesis for ease of judging.
 
  • Internet References: References obtained off the Internet are limited to primary source materials (i.e., documents, letters, newspaper articles, memoirs, interviews from the WWI period or interviews of WWI personalities).
 
  • Originality: A paper should be the unique work of the student not previously published or submitted for review.
 
  • Editing Your Paper Prior to Submission: Please read your paper over prior to submission and eliminate the obvious punctuation and spelling errors. We suggest using endnotes rather than footnotes, as this is the format utilized by Over the Front in publication of articles.
 
The following resources are listed as an aid to research:
 
 
  • Over the Front and its predecessor, Cross & Cockade (USA), journals
 
 

Criteria

Judging considers the following criteria: originality, technical accuracy, thoroughness of development of the subject, source documentation, and how well a paper is edited prior to submission. A panel of knowledgeable members of the League of World War I Aviation Historians will judge all entries.

Awards

The League will award a first place prize of $500, and give $200 to as many as five honorable mention awardees. The League reserves the right, at its discretion, to publish one or more of the winning papers in a future issue of Over the Front, with full credit given to the author.

Submitting the Paper

Papers should preferably be submitted in digital form as an MS Word file (e-mail with attached document) to the administrator of this competition, at OTF-papers@overthefront.com. Please include your mailing address and the name of your school with your entry. To be considered for the 2012-2013 competition, entries must be received by May 31, 2013. The League will announce winners in September 2013.

Educators and mentors, please encourage your students to submit entries. Students, we look forward to receiving your submission. Good luck in submitting a winning entry!

Call for Student Papers
League of World War I Aviation Historians
909 Pine Street
Yankton, SD 57078-3636

2011-2012 Mike Carr Student Paper Competition

$500 Grand Prize

Rebecca Lamb:
"Power, Propaganda and the Lafayette Escadrille."

Honorable Mention $200

Colette Faber:
"Eagle of America: An overview of the life of Quentin Roosevelt as well as the part his family played in it."

Christian Craft:
"Too Big To Succeed: Zeppelins and the Bombing of London 1915-1918."

Rhena Anna Victoria South:
"Kentucky's World War I Ace: Jesse Orin Creech."

Courtney Price:
"Revolution on Wings: The Development of Aviation During World War I."

2009-2010 Mike Carr Student Paper Competition

Honorable Mention ($200)

Brittany Rose Vianney Huebl:
"Im Krieg mit dem Baron: Manfred von Richthofen's German War Zone"

Casey Petroff:
"A Crippling Lack of Self-Sufficiency: Obstacles to Imperial Russia's World War I Aviation Program"

2008-2009 Mike Carr Student Paper Competition

$500 Grand Prize

Damian Lataan:
"Flights Of Fancy: America's Struggle to Become an Air Power During World War One"

Honorable Mention $200

Don Arp:
"'Everything was being wrecked by air-impotence': Air Power As a Force Multiplier During the Last Days Of the Arab Revolt, September 1918"

Victoria Pardoe:
"Granville Pollock's Long Lost Letters"

Kyle Nellesen:
"Fighting On Borrowed Wings: The Combat Experiences Of Americans Serving With French and British Units During the First World War"

Melanie Lewey:
"Ground Fire In World War I: A Pilot's Amusement Or Serious Threat?"

Eric Guyes:
"Propelling Us Towards the Future: The Importance Of the Cantilevered Wing During World War I and Beyond"

Congratulations students!