Joseph M. Carey Research Fellowship

The Fellowship

The Joseph M. Carey Research Fellowship is funded by a generous donation by the Carey Family and is intended to provide research support for a recognized scholar in the area of Wyoming and Western history and to facilitate the use of archival collections at the American Heritage Center (AHC), University of Wyoming.  The AHC does hold a collection of Carey Family Papers.  The Fellow will be appointed for a period of one calendar year.  During this time the Fellow will carry the title of the Joseph M. Carey Research Fellow and will represent the University of Wyoming as such.  Administration of the Fellowship will be the responsibility of the Director of the American Heritage Center.

Joseph M. Carey

Joseph M. Carey had a long and influential career in Wyoming as a politician, judge, lawyer, and rancher.  Born in Delaware in 1945, he came to Wyoming in 1869 just after its creation as a territory when President U.S. Grant appointed him the territory’s first U.S. Attorney General.  He went on to serve as an associate justice of the Supreme Court for Wyoming Territory, mayor of Cheyenne during the early 1880s, and served as Wyoming’s Delegate to Congress from 1895 to 1890 and was instrumental in the movement to gain statehood for Wyoming in 1890.  He then became Wyoming’s first U.S. Senator, serving from 1890 to 1895 in that position.  He also served as Wyoming governor from 1911 to 1915.  He died in Cheyenne on February 5, 1924.

Obligations of the Fellow

The Fellow will receive a stipend of $2,500, which will be used to defray research costs at the AHC, travel, and other expenses associated with this research, or publication costs resulting from this research.  The Fellow will be responsible for scheduling and conducting the research within one year of receipt of the award and for making timely progress toward publication of the results of the research.  The Fellow will also be expected to provide a general interest lecture based on the Fellow’s research at the AHC during the fall semester.  The lecture may be aimed at audience groups including students, faculty, and the general public.

The Fellowship stipend will be paid in two disbursements: $500 upon the applicant’s acceptance of the Fellowship, and $2,000 upon completion of the first research session at the AHC. 

Research Field

The Fellowship is intended to support research in the area of Wyoming history.  The AHC does hold the Carey Family Papers, but the Fellowship does not require that research apply specifically to Joseph M. Carey or the Carey family.  Any area of Wyoming history is acceptable.  The AHC maintains many archival collections which can be used by the Fellow as source material in conducting historical research. 

Selection Committee

The Fellow will be selected by a committee comprised of faculty from the AHC and the UW History Department.  The Fellow will be selected early in the year and will receive prompt notification of their selection.  Research supported by the Fellowship should be conducted by the Fellow within one year of notification. 

Qualifications

The Fellow will be a recognized scholar in the area of Wyoming or Western history.  The Fellow should have a record of publication in the field or show significant potential for publication.  Young scholars, minorities, and multi-disciplinary researchers are encouraged to apply.  Selection of the Fellow will be made on the basis of scholarly merit with no consideration of race, sex, ethnic background, or financial need.  The Committee shall, however, consider the applicant’s ability to complete the research project and bring it to publication in a timely fashion.

Application

Applicants for the Fellowship should submit to the committee, prior to the application deadline, the following materials:

• A research proposal of 2-3 pages outlining the specific research project proposed, the AHC’s archival collections to be used for this research, and proposed publications which the research will support.
• A statement of the proposed timeline for the research project from initiation to completion
• A c.v. including a list of publications authored by the applicant and copies of two of the author’s most recent publications which pertain to the proposed research, if applicable.

All application materials must be received by the selection committee on or before February 22, 2013, to be considered for the 2013 Fellowship.

Inquiries should be addressed to

Rick Ewig, Associate Director
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
PO Box 3924
1000 E. University Avenue
Laramie, WY  82071-3924