Awards and Scholarships

Home History Department Awards and Scholarships

Each year the History Department is privileged to present several awards and scholarships to outstanding graduates and rising senior majors. These are described below, along with a list of the recipients from the last decade.

Awards to Graduates of the Department

Scholarships to Rising Senior Majors in History

Awards to graduates of the Department of History Since 2003:

The William A. Jenks Award in History

The William A. Jenks Award in History is given in support of W&L graduates who are undertaking graduate work in history. The Jenks award was established by former 91��ý and friends in honor of William A. Jenks, Kenan Professor of History and a distinguished teacher and scholar of European history at Washington and Lee from 1946 until his retirement in 1983 when he was named professor emeritus. Jenks received his bachelor’s degree in history, magna cum laude, from Washington and Lee in 1939, and master’s and doctorate degrees in European history from Columbia University.

2022 John Crum and Nolan Durfee
2021 Elizabeth Lanier, Jonathan Tucker, Dani Powers, John Crum and Kelly Kaelin
2020 Danielle Powers, Kelly Douma and John Crum
2019 John Crum and Kelly Douma
2018 John Crum, Kelly Douma and Bruce McCuskey
2017 John Crum, Kelly Douma, Conley Hurst and Bruce McCuskey
2016 Kelly Douma, Claire Elder and Bruce McCuskey
2015 Nicholas Castanes, Stephen Deyarmin, Claire Elder and Isaac Webb
2014 Julia Miglets
2013 Isaac Webb
2012 Alexandra Locking
2011 Alexandra Locking
2010 James McKay, Julia Miglets and R. Chamberlain Wilson
2009 Wesley O’Dell, James McKay, Julia Miglets and R. Chamberlain Wilson
2008 R. Chamberlain Wilson, Lisa Zevorich and Christina Petrides
2007 Peter Jones, Rob Policelli, Emily Robideau and Lisa Zevorich
2006 Geoffrey Corey Harmon
2005 Lindsay Hagerman and Robert Policelli
2004 Matthew Jacobs, Christina Petrides, Robert Policelli and Daniel Tortora
2003 Christina Petrides

The Christopher Merrill Main ’94 History Award

The Christopher Merrill Main ’94 History Award is awarded to an exceptional senior who, through the spoken tongue or journalistic or literary expression, has shared his or her humor, wit and storytelling prowess with classmates and professors in contributing to a community where friendship, camaraderie, and goodwill flourish. It is hoped that the recipient be a gregarious History major who has an abiding love for Washington and Lee. This annual prize is named in memory of Christopher Merrill Main, Class of 1994.

2022 Thatch Townsend, Clay Chadwick and Janie Stillwell
2021 Jackson Cleghorn, Mary North Jones, Mary Pace Lewis and Robert Riley
2020 Nick Mauer and Win Gustin
2019 Adit Ahmed and Charlotte Cook
2018 Dana DeSousa
2017 John ("Jack") McGee
2016 Beth Jinae Kennedy
2015 Cory Church, Samantha Swatski
2014 Giles (Det) Beal
2013 Elizabeth Flanigan, Ben Ruffel
2012 Frederick McCracken Davis
2011 Crighton Allen, Scott Matarese
2010 Jane Bouch, Brian Devine
2009 Michael Kazior, Dmitry Slavin, Samuel Wilmoth, Mary Wilson
2008 Seth Bullard, Jacob Henry Dwight Geiger
2007 Andrew Rothey
2006 Morgan Hill
2005 Matthew Layton
2004 Carlos Apaht
2003 Jeremy Franklin

The James A. Vann III ’61 Prize in History

The James A. Vann III ’61 Prize in History is awarded to a junior or senior who submits a superior paper in the field of modern European history or architecture. The Vann Prize was created in memory of James A. Vann III, a 1961 Washington and Lee graduate and distinguished historian.

2022 Richard Leary and Elizabeth Herman
2021 Lucas Flood, Elizabeth Lanier and Jonathan Tucker
2020 Anna Kate Benedict
2019 Caroline Nowlin and Hayden Daniel
2017 Sonia Brozak, Samuel Gibson, Ellie Gorman, Edward Thompson
2016 Kelly Douma, Mary Sands, Pauline Marting
2015 Amanda Dixon, Kimberly Kennedy
2014 Annelise Madison
2013 Isaac Webb
2012 Elizabeth King
2011 Gregory Franke
2010 Rebecca Beeson
2009 Kavita DeVaney, Alexandra Locking
2006 Charles Fagan
2005 Benjamin Hicks
2004 Kara Coen
2003 Andrew Noel Griffith Borda

The Ollinger Crenshaw Prize in American History

The Ollinger Crenshaw Prize in American History is awarded each year to a history major with special interest and achievement in American history. The Crenshaw Prize was created in 2000 by Nathan V. Handricks III ’66, ’69L, in honor of beloved professor, Ollinger Crenshaw ’25. Professor Crenshaw was a faculty member in the History Department at Washington and Lee from 1926-1969 and author of General Lee’s College: The Rise and Growth of 91��ý.

2022 Jack Eason
2021 Lucas Flood
2020 Nick Mauer
2019 Morgan Maloney
2018 Emory Cox
2017 John Crum, Conley Hurst
2016 Jacob Berman, Grant Cokeley
2015 Carl Retzloff
2014 Mark Sowinski
2013 Thomas Sanford
2012 Andrew Renaldo
2011 Cara Regan
2010 Zachary Segall
2009 Seth Bullard, Benjamin Wilson
2007 Emma Burris and Lisa Zevorich
2006 Charles Richardson Yates, III
2005 Benjamin Hicks
2004 Benjamin Rumley

The Warren M. Wilson Award in African History

The Warren M. Wilson Award in African History may be awarded annually to a senior for graduate study in African History. The Warren M. Wilson Award was established in 1986 by Mr. Anthony M. Wilson and Professor Henry P. Porter Jr.

2008 Christopher O’Connor
2003 Kyle Healy

Scholarships Awarded to outstanding rising senior history majors since 2003:

The Washington Family Descendants Scholarship Award

The Washington Family Descendants Scholarship Award is made annually to the rising senior history major who attains the highest grade-point-average following his or her first three years of study. The Washington Family Descendants Scholarship was established in 1982 by approximately 600 members of the National Society for the purpose of promoting and supporting scholarship in the field of American history.

2022 Lauren Ellenz
2021 Elizabeth Herman
2020 Mary Pace Lewis
2019 Parker Catlett
2018 Morgan Maloney
2017 Emory Cox
2016 Conley Hurst
2015 Jacob Berman
2014 Jillian Katterhagen
2013 Annelise Madison
2012 Joseph Landry
2011 Emily Babcock Ackerman
2010 Daniel Van Denburgh
2009 Zachary Segall
2008 Wesley O’Dell
2007 Michael Keenan
2006 James McKay
2005 Andrew Lloyd
2004 Benjamin Hicks
2003 Benjamin Rumley

The Elizabeth B. Garrett Scholarship in History

The Elizabeth B. Garrett Scholarship in History is awarded for excellence in History.

2022 Claire Mersol
2021 John Null and Janie Stillwell
2020 Mary Pace Lewis and Jonathan Tucker
2019 Nick Mauer
2018 Caroline Nowlin
2017 Benjamin Gee
2016 Samuel Gibson and Zachary Howard
2015 Grant Cokeley
2014 Carl Retzloff
2013 Jonathan Cahill
2012 Isaac Webb
2011 Samuel Mercado-Rios
2010 Scott Matarese
2009 Jane Bouch, Brian Devine, Rachel Langdon, Dalena Moser
2008 Dmitry Slavin, Benjamin Wilson
2007 James Madden
2006 Emma Burris
2005 Charles Fagan
2004 Susan Somers
2003 Amy Blakeway

The Martin Baldwin Whitaker Memorial Merit Scholarship

The Martin Baldwin Whitaker Memorial Merit Scholarship is made to a rising senior, majoring in history, who has achieved the highest grade-point average in history courses. This scholarship was established in 1981 by the family of Martin Baldwin Whitaker and by his former law firm, Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Johnson and Williams of Houston, Texas. Mr. Whitaker was a member of the Class of 1971.

2022 Gabe Worthington
2021 Sophie Behdani
2020 Mary North Jones
2019 Nick Mauer
2018 Hayden Daniel
2017 Emory Cox
2016 Ellie Gorman
2015 Bruce McCuskey, Catherine Roach
2013 Annelise Madison
2012 Thomas Sanford
2011 Andrew Renaldo
2010 Gregory Franke
2009 George Emmett Morgan, IV
2008 Allexandra Locking
2007 William Campbell
2006 Matthew Miller
2005 Elizabeth Davis
2004 Lindsay Hagerman
2003 Rebecca Mitchell

The William A. Jenks Scholarship

The William A. Jenks Scholarship is awarded to 91��ý of unusual academic merit with strong interest in history and demonstrated financial need. This scholarship was established in 1997 in honor of William A. Jenks, teacher, scholar, and mentor, by Tom Angelillo, Class of 1974. The Jenks scholarship recognizes the distinguished teaching of this William R. Kenan Professor of History, Emeritus.

2022 Clare Hotze, Niani Benjamin, Kamron Spivey, Leia Barrow, Blake Ramsey, PT Meadors, Peyton Quimby, Lillie Taylor and Jacob Winston
2021 Leia Barrow, Sam Dutcher, Elizabeth Herman, Blake Ramsey and Harrison Whitehead
2020 Chase Robinett, Clare Perry, Marissa Miller and Jackson Cleghorn
2019 Elyse Ferris, Win Gustin, Danni Powers and Jared Nickodem
2018 Victoria Kazmierczak and Maggie Gray
2017 William Benjamin ("Ben") Whedon, Abigail Dorward, Andrew ("Max") Maxwell, Victoria Kazmierczak and Dana DeSousa
2016 Hannah Austin, John Crum and John McGee
2015 Beth Kennedy and Mary Sands
2014 Jillian Katterhagen
2014 Carl Retzloff, Timothy Paulsen, Kimberly Kennedy and Samantha Swatski
2013 Angelica Tillander and Madeline Thorpe
2012 Nicholas Castanes and Thomas Sanford
2011 Katie Gibbs and Charles Westfal
2010 Crighton Allen, John Kozak, Rhett Rayos, Cara Regan and George Stephenson
2009 Rebecca Beeson, Kevin Corn, T. Michael Craig-Grubbs, Kayla Rowe and Zachary Segall
2008 Terrence Michael McKelvey, Julia Lauren Miglets and Sarah Katherine Morris
2007 William Campbell, Timothy Conway and Randolph Wilson
2006 Lisa Zevorich
2005 Melissa Clarke
2004 Benjamin Hicks and Susanne LaFleur
2003 Rebecca Marie Mitchell

The John Preston Moore III Award

The John Preston Moore III Award is awarded annually to a graduating senior or rising senior for excellence in history. The John Preston Moore III Award was established in 2008 by Anne D. Moore in memory of John Preston Moore III.

2022 Leia Barrow
2021 Marissa Miller
2020 Mariel Rodriguez
2019 George Frank
2018 Adit Ahmed
2017 Alicia Martinez
2016 Bruce McCuske and Catherine Roach
2015 Jillian Katterhagen
2014 Kathryn Mary Bennett
2013 Joseph Landry
2012 Samuel Mercado-Rios
2011 Elizabeth Monroe King
2010 Claire Elder
2009 Caitlyn Marie Wilson

History Department

Department Info

P: 540-458-8771

Newcomb Hall
204 West Washington Street
91��ý
Lexington, Virginia 24450

Molly Michelmore

Department Head

P: 540-458-8779
E: michelmorem@wlu.edu

Amanda Smith

Administrative Assistant

P: 540-458-8771
E: asmith2@wlu.edu