CFP: BHC 2018 Meeting

The Business History Conference will hold its 2018 meeting on April 5-7 in Baltimore, Maryland. The theme of the meeting will be "Money, Finance, and Capital." The program committee--comprising David Sicilia (chair), Christy Ford Chapin, Per Hansen, Naomi Lamoreaux, Rory Miller, Julia Ott, and Mary O’Sullivan (BHC president)--explains:

Historians who want to write compelling histories of capitalism must grapple with the manifold roles that money, finance, and capital have played in political, economic, social and cultural dynamics. Yet, for many years, the abstruse and elusive character of these phenomena encouraged many historians of economic life to maintain a safe distance from them. Of course, there have always been some historians willing to figure out where money, finance, and capital fit into broader histories of our societies. Still, much of what we know about currency and credit, investment and profit, bonds and futures results from highly specialized research whose technical quality reinforces the enigmatic character of these subjects. . . . The theme of the 2018 BHC conference is designed to encourage contributions from a variety of approaches to historical research on the themes of money, finance, and capital, covering a broad range of periods and geographies.

    While proposals on the theme are encouraged, papers addressing all other topics will receive equal consideration by the program committee in accordance with BHC policy. The program committee will consider both individual papers and entire panels. Individual paper proposals should include a one-page (300 word) abstract and one-page curriculum vitae (CV). Panel proposals should include a cover letter stating the rationale for the panel and the name of its contact person; one-page (300 word) abstract and author’s CV for each paper; and a list of preferred panel chairs and commentators with contact information. To submit a proposal go to http://thebhc.org/2018-bhc-meeting and click on the link Submit a Paper/Panel Proposal.
     The 2018 call for papers also includes information about applying for the K. Austin Kerr Prize and the Herman E. Krooss Prize. The deadline for all proposals is October 2, 2017.
    The BHC Doctoral Colloquium in Business History will be held in conjunction with the BHC annual meeting. Funded by Cambridge University Press, the 2018 colloquium will take place in Baltimore on Wednesday, April 4 and Thursday, April 5. Typically limited to ten students, the colloquium is open to early stage doctoral candidates pursuing dissertation research within the broad field of business history, from any relevant discipline. Applications, due by November 15, 2017 via email to BHC@Hagley.org, should include: a statement of interest; CV; preliminary or final dissertation prospectus (10-15 pages); and a letter of support from the dissertation supervisor (or prospective supervisor). Questions about the colloquium should be sent to its director, Edward Balleisen, eballeis@duke.edu. All participants receive a stipend that partially defrays travel costs to the annual meeting. 
    For a fuller discussion of the meeting theme, suitable topics, and prize and colloquium guidelines, please see the full call for papers. General questions regarding the BHC’s 2018 annual meeting may be sent to Secretary-Treasurer Roger Horowitz, rh@udel.edu.