Scholarships & Awards
We want to recognize and reward outstanding students for their accomplishments and potential as scholars and writers in the field of English whenever possible.
For more information on any of these awards, please contact us. For freshman scholarships, see admissions.
Scholarships & Fellowships
Sigurd & Vivian D. Anderson Scholarship
The scholarship is awarded to "a student majoring in English with emphasis on English Literature and Grammar." Faculty members nominate deserving students, and a faculty committee appointed by the department chair then selects the recipients.
The Vivian D. Anderson '32 Scholarship Fund, an endowed account, was established in 1981 by Sigurd Anderson, husband, and Kristin K. Anderson, daughter of Vivian D. Anderson, in memory of their wife and mother. The earnings from this endowment are to be used to support this scholarship.
Betty Beason Crew Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to "a student majoring in English" and will be based on financial need and academic achievement. Tenured faculty members of the English Department shall select the recipient.
English Department Memorial Scholarship
This award is presented to "one or more students (graduate or undergraduate) who fulfill the following criteria: inspires others in English; contributes to department publications, projects, or committees; maintains a minimum grade point average of 3.0. Nominations are made by English Department faculty. Final selections are made by a committee appointed by the chair.
Alvina & Robert Hall Scholarship in English
The scholarship is given to "deserving undergraduate English majors." Each faculty member may nominate students. A faculty committee appointed by the chair then selects the recipient.
Robert E. Hall, Jr. established this scholarship in the name of his mother and father, Alvina D. and Robert E. Hall, Sr. Mr. Hall, Jr. graduated from the University with a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree in English in 1958 and 1959. Upon graduation, he taught English composition at the University. He later became a highly successful real estate broker.
Margaret B. Sanger Scholarship
U. English majors (including double majors) and English Education majors, as well as high schools seniors who have applied to the U. and declared English or English education as a major, are eligible to apply for the Sanger scholarship.
Margaret B. Miller Sanger, in whose name the scholarships are awarded, majored in English at The U., receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1908 and her Master of Arts degree in 1910. Mrs. William H. Beattys (Helen Miller, sister to Margaret), who left the bequest, graduated in 1912 from The U. The two sisters attended the University Preparatory School prior to enrolling in the University and both were members of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority.
Dorothy Baisch Selz Memorial Fellowship
This fellowship is awarded to a graduate student majoring in English who demonstrates excellence in the study of literature and literary criticism. Tenured faculty members of the English Department shall select the recipient.
Dorothy Baisch Selz was a highly respected professor of English at The U.
Elizabeth Shreves Scholarship
This scholarship goes to an English major, preferably a woman. The scholarship was established by Catherine Shreves in her mother's name.
Awards & Prizes
Creative Writing Awards
The following creative writing awards are available for current U students: the Archer B. Gillfallen Awards, the Gertrude B. Gunderson Award, and the Gladys J. Hasse Poetry Award. The faculty who teach creative writing select the recipients on the basis of their creative works.
John G. Dow Prize in English
This prize goes "to outstanding members of the senior graduating class" who have the "best knowledge of English diction with regard to purity of style and clarity of expression." Each faculty member may nominate deserving students. A faculty committee appointed by the chair then selects the recipient.
This endowed account was established in 1920 by a gift from Arnold L. Davis in honor of John G. Dow, an early U professor of English.
Thomas & Alice Gasque Study-in-Britain Award
This award was established in 2003 by U. English Professors Emeriti Thomas and Alice Gasque. It is awarded to a U undergraduate with a grade point average of 3.2 or higher, with special preference given to English majors, for the purpose of studying in Great Britain.
Elbert W. & Marjorie Harrington Book Award
This award consists of an appropriate book given to a "deserving student." Each faculty member may nominate students. A faculty committee appointed by the chair then selects the recipient, and one faculty member is designated to select the book.
This endowed account was established in 1976 by Dean Elbert Harrington and friends. The English Department is one of several departments that were specified to receive books.
Internships & Assistantships
Contact Suzanne Radigan (605-677-5229) for information about available internships.
Teaching assistantships are available to graduate students at both the M.A. and Ph.D. levels.