Vermont Historical Society announces research award recipients
The Vermont Historical Society is pleased to announce the recipients of two awards: the Weston A. Cate Jr. Fellowship and the Richard O. Hathaway Award. These awards seek to recognize, support, and expand scholarship into Vermont’s history. The awards were announced during this year’s Annual Meeting on October 17th, 2024, at the Vermont History Center in Barre.
The Weston A. Cate Jr. Fellowship is a $1,200 fellowship awarded every other year to encourage research into Vermont history, with a particular emphasis on exploring under-studied aspects of the state’s story. This award supports research for one calendar year in any aspect of Vermont history, from which grantees produce a written project upon its completion. This year’s recipient is Miles McCallum of Burlington. A graduate student studying history at UVM, McCallum’s project is titled “Blackface Minstrelsy in the Green Mountain State.”
Vermont Historical Society Executive Director Steve Perkins says “I was very impressed by the depth and breadth of proposed projects for this year's Cate Fellowship. Vermont Historical Society is an incredible repository, but repositories are no good if they aren't used for original study that moves us forward as a society. Miles McCallum's project certainly speaks to our mission: we believe an understanding of the past changes lives and build better communities.”
The Richard O. Hathaway Award is an annual award presented to an individual, group or organization that has made outstanding contributions to the study of Vermont’s history. This year’s recipient is Alice M. Evans, author of Our Suffering Brace: Waitsfield Boys and the Men in the Civil War. A resident of Waitsfield, Evans’ book is an extensive examination of the 163 individuals from the town who joined the Union Army and fought during the American Civil War.
On the award, Perkins says that “it's always a joy to see the output of Vermont's historians each year and know that there is a consistent and passionate interest in our collective past. This year's winner proves that we always have more to learn about our nation's Civil War.”
About the Vermont Historical Society
Founded in 1838, the Vermont Historical Society serves to engage both Vermonters and "Vermonters at heart" in the exploration of our state's rich heritage. Our purpose is to reach a broad audience through our outstanding collections, statewide outreach, and dynamic programming. We believe that an understanding of the past changes lives and builds better communities.
