The National History Bowl strives to promote history education throughout the United States, and among American citizens around the world. To that end, we are committed to holding tournaments that are fair, educational, and lots of fun for all. As it is the opinion of the Executive Director that history education has been somewhat neglected at the secondary school level in recent years, the National History Bowl has an important role to play in remedying this. By fostering an interest in history among students, the National History Bowl will give present-day students an appreciation for the past that will serve them and their country and world well in the future. While the essence of the National History Bowl is the recall of historical facts, by studying prior to the tournaments and listening to and responding to questions at the various stages of the competition, students will become more aware of all aspects of history. This includes an appreciation of the idea that history is not just a morass of names and dates, but a key to understanding every human endeavor, from the battlefield to the baseball field, from the political arena to the photography studio, from sacred places to the science lab. This will no doubt encourage students to continue their study of history through scholarship in high school, college, and beyond. Ultimately, while it may seem a little far-reaching in this our inaugural year, the National History Bowl will help to prepare today’s students to be tomorrow’s voters and leaders.