Fellowship

The Sterling Fellowships in Pacific Northwest History at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland have been established through an endowment, made possible by the family of Donald J. Sterling, Jr., to encourage original, scholarly, interpretive research in the Oregon Historical Society Research Library. The Society offers two Fellowships each year—a Senior Fellowship ($2,500), which is open to all applicants, and a Graduate Research Fellowship ($2,000), which is restricted to candidates for advanced degrees.

The recipient of the Fellowship will be given special access to OHS’s Research Library with its extensive collection of manuscripts, maps, photographs, and other resources. The Library holds strong collections in business and economic development, labor, arts, conservation and land use, migration, politics and government, and the activities of women and ethnic groups.

Fellows will be in residence in the OHS Research Library for four weeks during the calendar year following the award (not necessarily in one block of time). A 250-word written report on the research completed will be required within a month after the Fellowship ends. While at the Society, each Fellow will give a public lecture on his or her research. Within a year of completing the Fellowship, recipients will submit an article based on their research for possible publication in OHS’s quarterly journal, the Oregon Historical Quarterly.

Applicants for the Fellowship need not be professional historians, but they must have experience in historical research and writing. Preference will be given to scholars who have suitable research topics, who have the potential of making a significant contribution to historical scholarship on Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, and who evidence the ability to write an article-length manuscript for OHQ.

Unfortunately, the recent economic downfall has affected the endowment fund that supports the Sterling Fellowships to the extent that we are unable to fund them at all in 2009.  We are hopeful that the fund will rebound during the next few months.  If it does, we will do our best to inform all interested parties that applications for the fellowship are being accepted.