Humphrey Receives Distinguished Teaching Award

A student of history, Dr. Carol Humphrey had her name etched into Oklahoma Baptist University's history of top award winners when she received the university's Distinguished Teaching Award during OBU's recent spring Commencement.

The highest honor for OBU faculty members, the Distinguished Teaching Award is presented annually to a professor who has "distinguished herself in the teaching profession over a period of several years as acknowledged by former students, peers and current students."

Humphrey joined the OBU faculty in 1985 as an assistant professor of history. She was promoted to associate professor in 1992 and gained the rank of professor in 1998.



Dr. Carol Humphrey receives OBU's Distinguished Teaching Award from President David Whitlock during the university's recent spring Commencement.

As he presented the award, OBU President David Whitlock read a portion of an award nomination letter from one of Humphrey's colleagues.

"This recipient exemplifies the commitment to learning and scholarship that makes OBU a quality institution," the colleague wrote. "In the classroom she is well-organized, presenting American history in all its complexity with passion and clarity.

"Her deep and authentic care for students shows in all that she does, whether through her work as Faculty Athletics Representative, as a record-keeper during basketball season, as an overseer of the senior breakfast, or in her many other roles of service."


A native of North Carolina, Humphrey completed a bachelor of arts degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, a master's degree in American history from Wake Forest University, and a Ph.D. degree in American history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

She is a member of the American Journalism Historians Association and the Organization of American Historians. She also has served as a grader for the ETS Advanced Placement U.S. History Exams since 1993.


A specialist in Colonial-era newspapers, she has received numerous awards from the American Journalism Historians Association. She has served as a manuscript reviewer for various journals and publishers. She is the author of numerous published articles and has written or contributed to five books on topics such as the Revolutionary War, The War of 1812, and the role of New England Newspapers during the American Revolution.

Humphrey is the historian for the Shawnee chapter of Habitat for Humanity. She is a member of the First Baptist Church of Shawnee, where she sings in the sanctuary choir and serves as the church clerk.