Sherman David Spector of the Class of 1950 Fellowship for Graduate Study in History and Teaching
Bowdoin College's Department of History is pleased to announce the competition for this year's Sherman David Spector of the Class of 1950 Fellowship for Graduate Study in History and Teaching. Designed to assist students interested in pursuing a career in history or the teaching of history, Spector Fellowships are open to senior history majors and alumni/ae who majored in history at Bowdoin. The Fellowship carries a one-time $2000 stipend that Spector Fellows will receive upon matriculation in a graduate program in history or in a graduate program designed to train teachers of history or social studies at any level.
Complete Application Requirements
A completed application should include the following:
- An official undergraduate and, if applicable, graduate transcript.
- A narrative, no more than 1000 words in length, that explains the student's rationale for pursuing a career in history or teaching, describes the graduate programs to which he/she has applied, and discusses why those programs are a good fit for the student's future goals as an educator.
- Two letters of recommendation, at least one of which must be from the applicant's current academic institution.
- A sample of the student's writing (e.g., paper completed for a Bowdoin history course, honor's thesis, independent study)
The criteria for the fellowship will include: the student's undergraduate record in history; the relationship between the student's past academic record and the proposed program of study in graduate school, and the student's promise as a teacher and/or scholar. Preference will be given to applications from seniors and recent graduates.
The deadline for applications is Tuesday, April 15, 2008. Completed applications should be sent to Prof. Kidder Smith, 38 College St., 9900 College Station, Brunswick, ME 04011-8499. The Department will review applications and announce the award on or about May 1, 2008. Please direct questions about the program to Professor Kidder Smith (kidder@bowdoin.edu) or Professor Sarah McMahon.(smcmahon@bowdoin.edu).
Sherman David Spector '50, is Professor of History Emeritus at Russell Sage College, Troy, New York, where he taught from 1960-1992. He earned his masters and doctoral degrees at Columbia University. Professor Spector is the author of numerous works on Eastern European history. He received the Distinguished Educator Award from Bowdoin in 1987.
Spector Fellowship Award Winners
2007 Laura Hillburn '02, currently enrolled in doctoral program in European history at the University of Michigan.
2006 Tyler Lange '03, currently enrolled in doctoral program in European history at the University of California, Berkeley.
2005 Kelly Ricciardi, '01, currently enrolled in doctoral program in European history at Brown University.
2004 Kanisorn Wongsrichanalai, '03, currently enrolled in doctoral program in American history at the University of Virginia
2003 Christopher J. Lee, '96, completed his doctorate in history at Stanford University and has accepted a tenure-track position in African history at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.