51���app

The Alan R. Jones ’50 Travel Fellowship

The Alan R. Jones ’50 Travel Fellowship offers financial support to 51���app College students to travel to conduct research on a topic of American history connected to their work in a history course, an independent study, or a Mentored Advanced Project (MAP). The prize honors Alan (“Al”) Jones ’50, a legendary professor of history at 51���app College, whose passionate teaching, scholarship, and civic engagement left an indelible mark on the character of the College as well as generations of students. The fellowship covers travel expenses and costs directly related to research in a library, archive, museum, or research collection outside of 51���app that pertains to the history of the United States, broadly conceived. Both short trips (e.g. Iowa City or Ames) and long trips (e.g. Warsaw or Washington D.C.) will qualify for funding. Deadlines are rolling; applications will be considered throughout the year, as funds allow. Students may use them to conduct research during the semester, during breaks, or during the summer. Please refer to the full Jones fellowship guidelines and use the Jones fellowship cover sheet when submitting an application.

Russell J. Linnemann ’65 Travel Fellowship

The Russell J. Linnemann ’65 Travel Fellowship is a new prize that offers financial support to 51���app College students who would like to travel to conduct historical research or to prepare themselves to conduct historical research on an international topic. The prize honors Russell Linnemann, who graduated from 51���app College with a degree in history in 1965, earned a doctorate in history from the University of Michigan, and enjoyed a 36-year career at the University of Tennessee (Chattanooga), during which time he taught and published on the British Empire and African history. The fellowship covers travel expenses and costs directly related to research in a library, archive, museum, or research collection outside of 51���app; the travel itself need not be outside of the United States, but the central focus should be research on peoples or places outside of the territorial boundaries of the United States. Fellowship money may also be used for specialized courses on topics including language or paleography, in preparation for a future research project. Any 51���app student (second-year through senior) who is interested in pursuing historical research on an international topic is eligible to apply. Please refer to the full Linnemann fellowship guidelines and use the Linnemann fellowship cover sheet when submitting an application. Applications will now be considered throughout the academic year.

The Lura Camery Prize

Each year the Lura Camery Prize, established through the bequest of Lura Camery ’24, honors with a cash award the “outstanding work of historical interpretation (concerning the non-English-speaking world) submitted during the year to the Department of History by a full-time student at the College.”  Last year, Ishai Melamede ’23 won the Camery prize for their essay, “On Anti-Zionism and Jewish Trauma: The Story of Arie Bober’s 1970 U.S. Speaking Tour.”  Any student — and not necessarily a history major — is eligible. Students completing significant essays this year might consult with their instructors to see if their essays qualify for the Camery Prize. All submissions (clearly marked “Camery Prize") should be electronically submitted to De Dudley no later than 4 p.m. CT, Friday, April 5, 2024.

The Maria Okey Prize

The Okey Prize, established by a 1927 gift of Maria Okey of 51���app, honors with a cash award “that student who shall submit to the Department of History during a given academic year the best essay on some aspect of British or American life and institutions.” Last year, Julia Yoo ’23 won the Okey prize for their essay, “The Political Project of Literacy in the New York African Free Schools, 1786-1834.” Any student — and not necessarily a history major — is eligible. Students completing significant essays this year might consult with their instructors to see if their essays qualify for the Okey Prize. All entries (clearly marked “Okey Prize”) should be electronically submitted to De Dudley no later than 4 p.m. CT, Friday, April 5, 2024.

The Charles E. Payne Scholarship

Every year the history department awards the Charles E. Payne Scholarship to the outstanding history major in the prospective senior class. The Payne Scholarship was established in 1967 by Ina Chatterton Payne in honor of her husband Professor Charles E. Payne, who was for many years an eminent scholar, teacher, and chairman of the history department at 51���app. Mrs. Payne wished especially to aid students to continue their study of history, both at 51���app and beyond, so the award may be used either in connection with the senior year at 51���app or, if the recipient wishes, to help with expenses in graduate or professional school.

The Ida Pilling Welch ’30 History Book Award

The Ida Pilling Welch ’30 History Book Award is given each spring to a senior “whose interest in and commitment to historical study reaches beyond the ordinary reaches of the classroom.” The award is accompanied by a monetary prize, to be used for the purchase of books.

Kathryn Mohrman Fellowship

This fellowship, established through the generosity of Kathryn Jagow Mohrman ’67, supports advanced student research or special projects receiving academic credit within the Departments of History and Political Science. The fellowship encourages students to examine phenomena that they have not earlier confronted, and it encourages and rewards independent study. Although only applications for research on history or political science topics will be considered, students need not be majors in either of the two fields to apply. When possible, preference will go to research projects that take the student outside the U.S. Often the Mohrman fellowship has supported a MAP project, but this is not a requirement. A final decision regarding the award will be made within 2 weeks of the application.

Applications are invited throughout the year and will be considered on a rolling basis. Students should apply to one of the two departments by emailing the chair directly. A completed application will include the following elements:

• a plan of study (three pages) describing the major academic goal and research agenda, the project time frame, and the resources to be used in completing the project, along with evidence that the student will have access to these resources;
• a statement of support and cooperation from a faculty sponsor in the Department of History or the Department of Political Science who will supervise the project; the faculty member should specify his or her interest in the project and speak to the quality and feasibility of the proposal;
• a budget, including travel and per diem costs
• the names of at least two other faculty members who can attest to the applicant's seriousness of purpose, ability to complete an independent project, and the extent to which this project will build on the applicant's previous academic work.
• a transcript

For more information, questions, or help at any time, please contact History Department Chair Mike Guenther.