Austin Peay’s history honor society receives national Best Chapter Award 

By: Macy Short October 17, 2025

Phi Alpha Theta at their first meeting of the semester on Sept. 16, 2025. | Photo by Sean McCully

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University’s chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, a national history honor society, recently received the organization’s Best Chapter Award in Division IV for the 2024-25 academic year.  

The Best Chapter Award is presented to the chapter that exemplifies Phi Alpha Theta’s mission in its respective division. Austin Peay’s chapter, Theta Delta, also received the Nels A. Cleven Award for having earned the Best Chapter Award five or more times (including an 11-win streak through 2019).  

“We demonstrated activities that were community-centered, educational, and fun,” said Dr. Antonio Thompson, professor of history and the Theta Delta chapter’s faculty advisor. “We didn’t do this all at once or to win an award. We set out from the beginning of the academic year to put our best foot forward and just kept going from there.”  

Dr. Antonio Thompson announces the Best Chapter Award at Phi Alpha Theta’s meeting in September 2025. The chapter previously won the award in 2022 and received it 11 times in a row through 2019. | Photo by Sean McCully 

The chapter earned this year’s award through a combination of academic programming, community service, and campus outreach. Activities included attending G.H.O.S.T. (Greater Halloween Options for Safe Trick-or-Treating), volunteering at the on-campus food pantry, and hosting speaker events open to all APSU students. 

Since its establishment as an official organization on campus, Theta Delta has made it a priority to give back to APSU and the community by building relationships between its members. Through respect and collaboration, Theta-Delta is able to make a lasting impact on campus and throughout Clarksville.  

“This [chapter] is very organized and puts camaraderie between members as a main focus while also working to give back to the campus as much as possible,” said Jennifer Plascencia, Theta Delta chapter member.  

About Phi Alpha Theta at Austin Peay State University 

The Austin Peay chapter of Phi Alpha Theta was established in 1961 and is the third oldest chapter in the state of Tennessee. Phi Alpha Theta is a nationally certified academic honor society whose primary mission is to promote the study of history by encouraging research, quality teaching, publication, and the exchange of learning and ideas among current and future historians. 

For more information on Phi Alpha Theta, email Dr. Antonio Thompson at thompsonas@apsu.edu.