A Warren G. Harding Symposium Award of a $1000 scholarship will be presented to an Ohio State Marion student who submits an original essay of 1000 words or less based upon the theme of the annual Warren G. Harding Symposium. The winner will be selected by a committee composed of Ohio State Marion staff and Harding Symposium event leaders, based on following criteria: theme topic adherence, creativity, insights, perspectives, and composition.
The theme for the 2025 Warren G. Harding Symposium is Politics at the Doorstep: Presidential Front Porch Campaigns. The first presidential candidate to tour and give speeches to adoring throngs was William Henry Harrison during his successful presidential campaign in 1840. But between 1852 and 1872, the next four major party nominees that stumped … lost. It was from this historic backdrop that James Garfield had to figure out how to campaign for the presidency in 1880. Inviting voters to his home to hear him give speeches, meet his family, and take some food from his farm as a gift, he struck a middle ground between stumping and being too quiet. And with that, the presidential front porch campaign was born. In the next forty years, three more successful presidential front porch campaigns were conducted: Benjamin Harrison in 1888, William McKinley in 1896 and Warren Harding in 1920. The 2025 Warren G. Harding Symposium will take an in-depth look at all four of these unique presidential campaigns.
Students may choose to write on each of the presidents or choose one to highlight in their 1000 words or less essay submission.
Submissions (essays) will be accepted beginning today with a deadline of April 8, 2025. The essays should be submitted, with “SYMPOSIUM ESSAY” in the subject line, to Catherine Gerber at gerber.10@osu.edu by 5 p.m. on April 8th. The winner will be notified prior to the symposium and announced at Warren G. Harding Symposium in July 2025. Students who attend Ohio State Marion in the spring, or who are attending in the summer, or plan to be an Ohio State Marion student in the fall of 2026 are eligible to submit an essay.