Northwestern Professor Featured in Emmy-Nominated Documentary

December 20, 2024

Dr. Roger Hardaway, Northwestern Oklahoma State University professor of history, makes multiple appearances in the Emmy-nominated docuseries “Frontier.” (Courtesy of the National Geographic YouTube Channel)

The Northwestern Oklahoma State University Department of Social Sciences now has the distinction of having a faculty member tied to an Emmy-nominated program.

Dr. Roger Hardaway, professor of history, appears in the six-part documentary series “Frontier,” which was nominated for Outstanding Educational and Information Program, one of five nominees.

In 2022, London-based Dash Pictures approached Hardaway for an interview, filming him in Wichita, Kansas, sharing his expertise as one of the foremost scholars on African American cowboys in the late 19th century.

“I mentioned that the Lewis and Clark Expedition was my favorite lecture in my American West class at Northwestern,” Hardaway said. “They asked if I knew enough about Lewis and Clark for them to interview me about that subject, too.”

The crew got the cameras rolling, and Hardaway discussed the Lewis and Clark Expedition for another hour. Hardaway’s interviews appear multiple times in the series.

The full series is available on Paramount Plus, and the first episode, the episode where Hardaway discusses Lewis and Clark, is available on the National Geographic YouTube Channel, titled “America’s Wild West: Discovery of a Land | What Really Happened.” The episode may be found at youtu.be/4jpXt-Y-Nm4?si=so-kVFrVneKO1k5P.

Although the film did not win, Hardaway said that being nominated indicates the quality of the production and the significance of the project.

“It is truly an honor to be in the film,” Hardaway said. “It is one of the highlights of my career as a historian.”

For more information on the Northwestern Department of Social Sciences, visit www.nwosu.edu/school-of-arts-and-sciences/social-sciences or contact Dr. Eric Schmaltz, social sciences department chair and Northwestern professor of history, at ejschmaltz@nwosu.edu or (580) 327-8526.

-NW-

CONTACT FOR RELEASE:
Sean J. Doherty, University Relations Specialist
sjdoherty@nwosu.edu | (580) 327-8480