In what continues to be a record-setting season, the Washington College Men’s Soccer team (15-4-1, Centennial Conference Champions) advanced to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Division III tournament and will face Tufts (#7) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20 on Bello Field in Medford, Mass. This marks the first meeting for these two teams. The complete bracket can be found here.

The team will depart from in front of Cain Athletic Center at approximately 9:00 a.m. on Friday 11/19, after a brief send-off from the campus community. Coaches and players will be available for media interviews from 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.

Historic Season

The Shoremen are making just their second NCAA Tournament appearance, and the first since 1973. Washington, who has won seven straight matches, are in the Sweet 16 for the first time ever. The two tournament victories last weekend – defeating St. Lawrence 2-0 in the opening round, followed by another 2-0 win over Montclair State — were the first NCAA Tournament victories in the program’s history, which dates back to 1946.

Washington College is part of the Centennial Conference, and also claimed the school’s first-ever conference championship earlier this month by defeating Gettysburg College. The Centennial Conference champion earns an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.

The Shoremen have not lost since a 1-0 result at Johns Hopkins on October 9th. The team is unbeaten over its last eight outings and the 15 victories are another program high. In addition, Washington is 5-3 when facing a top-20 team this season.

With only 16 teams remaining, Washington College is the only Centennial Conference school and the only Maryland school still in the hunt. The team has adopted “Why Not Us” as their motto.

About Head Coach Roy Dunshee 

Roy Dunshee was named the 11th head coach in Washington College men’s soccer history in April 2012 and has a ten-year career-record of 73-73-10. In Dunshee’s first season as the Shoremen’s head coach, he guided them to their best overall record since 2007 and best conference record since 2008. In his second season, the Shoremen went 8-8-1, their best mark since 2003. Dunshee’s fourth season, 2015, saw the Shoremen post their best record in 12 years. Year five of the Dunshee era was a breakthrough as the Shoremen qualified for the Centennial Conference Tournament for the first time, winning the first-round game, and posting a 10-7-2 record, their best in 16 years. The program is in the midst of their finest season ever with 15 victories, their first Centennial title, and first two NCAA victories.

The JHC Foundation has awarded a $5 million grant to Washington College, one of the largest gifts in the institution’s 239-year history. School officials said the gift will enhance the overall student experience while accelerating the pursuit of accreditation for its Business Management department, a longtime goal.

President Michael J. Sosulski said the gift will provide direct investment to move the College’s business management program toward accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), positioning the program for long-term sustainability and impact.

“AACSB accreditation is widely recognized as the most respected credential for business and accounting programs around the world,” said Sosulski. “State university programs and business-focused private schools often are accredited, but only a handful of liberal arts colleges earn the distinction. Since achieving AACSB accreditation typically takes five to seven years, this is a truly transformational gift.”

Sosulski said the new grant meets half of a $10 million initiative that will also allow the College to endow key faculty positions in business management and provide upgrades to Daly Hall, the department’s home on campus. The proposed renovation will provide gathering spaces for students and faculty; modernized classrooms, including an expanded Brown Advisory Investing Room with Bloomberg terminals; and offices and conference areas.

Today’s historic donation is in addition to $500,000 the JHC Foundation — a Warehime family foundation — granted to the Business Management Department in 2020, as well as a $1 million gift that was awarded by the Foundation in 2019, establishing The Warehime Fund for Student Excellence in Business.  The Warehime Fund supports activities and opportunities for students enrolled in a business management program, including advanced research techniques, both on and off campus. Warehime Fellows work closely with faculty mentors to produce high-quality academic research, with the aim of submitting their final products for publication in peer-reviewed journals and participation in academic and practitioner conferences, as well as case competitions. Elizabeth Warehime joined the Washington College Board of Visitors and Governors in 2020.

“We are so fortunate to count the JHC Foundation among the leaders of the Washington College community,” said Sosulski, who joined the school in September. “Their work to further the strategic vision of the Business Management Department creates a remarkable legacy and affects our students, faculty, and staff right now, while also helping us to attract new students to our community each day.”

The business management major at Washington College will celebrate its 40th year next fall. The comprehensive program covers accounting, marketing, finance, organizational behavior, information systems, strategy, global business, corporate social responsibility, and nonprofit management. The portfolio of the department’s Brown Advisory Student-Managed Investment Fund has won first place in the value portfolio category at the renowned Quinnipiac Global Asset Management Education Forum for the past two years.

“The business program has proven over the last several years that we are able to recruit highly talented faculty by searching for colleagues who share our love of teaching, who desire rewarding interaction with students, and who are able to pursue successful scholarly projects with available resources,” said Susan Vowels, the Constance F. & Carl W. Ferris Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Business Management at Washington College.

“AACSB accreditation will be a further proof point of Washington College’s excellence to our greater community, our faculty and staff, and our students of today and tomorrow,” Sosulski said.

About Washington College

Founded in 1782, Washington College is the tenth oldest college in the nation and the first chartered under the new Republic. It enrolls approximately 1,100 undergraduates from more than 35 states and a dozen nations. With an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning in the arts and sciences, and more than 40 multidisciplinary areas of study, the College is home to nationally recognized academic centers in the environment, history, and writing. Learn more at washcoll.edu.

Thanks to the Kent County Public Library and Washington College’s Clifton Miller Library, Chesapeake Heartland — a public history project at the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience — recently completed an initiative to digitize, archive, and share more than 330 items from the Historical Society of Kent County. The collection chronicles the local African American community across more than a century. Visitors to Chesapeake Heartland’s online archive can now see documents and images related to public health, education, agriculture, aquaculture, business, industry, and much more.

Photo: 1960 image from inside Chestertown’s “Uptown Club” https://archive.chesapeakeheartland.org/index.php/Detail/objects/2076

“We are thrilled to partner with the Kent County Public Library and Miller Library on this project,” said Adam Goodheart, the Starr Center’s Hodson Trust-Griswold Director. “Both libraries are playing essential roles in making our area’s fascinating and diverse history more accessible. We are also grateful to the Historical Society for generously permitting access to its collections even amid Covid-related challenges. Scholars, students, teachers, genealogists, and members of the broader public — both locally and far afield — will benefit from the new online resources.”

Mary Alice Ball is the Clifton M. Miller Dean of Library and Academic Technology at Washington College’s Miller Library and said that the Historical Society of Kent County is contributing a truly unique and valuable collection of images to Chesapeake Heartland. “Miller Library was delighted to work with the Historical Society of Kent County, the Kent County Public Library, and the Starr Center in expanding digital resources that add to our understanding of the region’s history and culture.”

Photo: 1935 image of a woman receiving a vaccine https://archive.chesapeakeheartland.org/index.php/Detail/objects/2066

The Chesapeake region’s history dates back an astonishing four centuries. The Chesapeake Heartland Project webpage states that the project’s name derives from the area’s identity as the heartland of African American history and culture since the arrival of the first Africans at Jamestown in 1619. It goes on to say that “Kent County is in many ways a microcosm of that history, with its own rich and diverse African American heritage.”

Darius Johnson, a member of the board of directors for the Historical Society of Kent County, said that community collaborations like this are vital to public history and the local Black community.

“This history is so important to our current and future generations, and more specifically, the sustainability of the Black community here in Kent County, which is shrinking,” he said. “When you look at the pictures that have been digitized, it’s inspiring to see people living, working, and prospering here, together, just a generation or two away.”

Johnson, who is also a 2021-22 fellow for the Chesapeake Heartland project and the executive director of local non-profit Kent Attainable Housing, added that this community collaboration shows Kent County residents that there is a history to be proud of and built upon, if they are willing to connect to it in a tangible way. “This goes beyond walk-through galleries and talks,” he said. “Public history is at work — and at its best — when it inspires actions that improve our community across education, healthcare, workforce, and beyond.”

Arnessa Dowell, executive director of the Kent County Public Library, said the Chesapeake Heartland project exemplifies the way that libraries and archives are thriving in the digital landscape.

“As libraries have expanded their collections beyond books, they’ve been able to increase their ability to provide equitable access to everyone, no matter where they may live.  Not only is Kent County Public library highly relevant in the digital age, but it is honored to be able to partner in creating the digital platforms that deliver public history for everyday use and knowledge.”

Photo: Circa 1880 portrait of a woman in gloves and a formal dress https://archive.chesapeakeheartland.org/index.php/Detail/objects/2098

With support from the Kent County Public Library, digitization was conducted by Lindsay Sheldon, director of archives and technical services at Washington College’s Miller Library. Sheldon, who worked over the course of several months to digitize, upload, catalog, and post the items, said that although it’s hard to choose a favorite, there are a couple standouts to her.

“There are so many wonderful images spanning the decades—from the somber to the joyful. As a fellow black cat owner, I love the image of Charley Hines’ two cats from the Pennington scrapbook. I’m also a fan of New Deal projects, so the images of the public health clinics of the 1930s are interesting and a little sobering to see.”

Chesapeake Heartland: An African American Humanities Project — a collaboration between the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and Washington College’s Starr Center— is a multi-year, grassroots initiative to preserve and share four centuries of Black history. The project, which highlights the Chesapeake Bay region as a major heartland of Black heritage, is beginning with an intensive effort in Kent County, which serves as a microcosm of the larger story.

To see all the newly digitized items, visit archive.chesapeakeheartland.org and enter “Historical Society of Kent County” into the search box at the top of the webpage.

The 2021 George Washington Prize has been awarded to Dr. Mary Beth Norton for her book 1774: The Long Year of Revolution. One of the nation’s largest and most prestigious literary awards, the George Washington Prize honors its namesake by recognizing the year’s best new books on the nation’s founding era, especially those that engage a broad public audience. Conferred by George Washington’s Mount Vernon, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and Washington College, the award will be presented to Norton in May 2022 at Mount Vernon.

Norton’s 1774 (Knopf/Vintage) covers the sixteen months stretching from the destruction of East India Company tea in Boston Harbor to the marching of troops to Lexington and Concord. Readers experience the uncertainty and unpredictability of this prelude to revolution. “I have long thought that historians have unfortunately overlooked crucial developments in that year just prior to the outbreak of war,” wrote Norton after learning she had won the George Washington Prize. “It was in fact then — and not before — when many Americans decided that seeking independence would be desirable. Tracing precisely how that happened proved enlightening to me and I hope it will be the same for readers of the book.”

“This vividly narrated history brings to light a moment when America’s future — and in a sense, also the world’s — hung in the balance,” said Adam Goodheart, director of Washington College’s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, which cosponsors the Washington Prize. “At a time when questions about America’s past are so central to understanding democracy’s present-day challenges, Mary Beth Norton’s book is essential reading.”

The other finalists for the 2021 George Washington Prize include (in alphabetical order):

• Mark Boonshoft, Aristocratic Education and the Making of the American Republic (University of North Carolina Press)
• Vincent Brown, Tacky’s Revolt: The Story of an Atlantic Slave War (Harvard University Press)
• Peter Cozzens, Tecumseh and the Prophet: The Shawnee Brothers Who Defied a Nation (Alfred A. Knopf)
• Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, The Age of Phillis (Wesleyan University Press)
• Michael W. McConnell, The President Who Would Not Be King: Executive Power under the Constitution (Princeton University Press)
• William G. Thomas III, A Question of Freedom: The Families Who Challenged Slavery from the Nation’s Founding to the Civil War (Yale University Press)

Created in 2005 by George Washington’s Mount Vernon, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and Washington College, the $50,000 George Washington Prize is one of the nation’s largest and most notable literary awards. Previous winners Prize include Ron Chernow, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Nathaniel Philbrick, Annette Gordon-Reed, and Rick Atkinson.

ABOUT THE SPONSORS OF THE GEORGE WASHINGTON PRIZE

Washington College

Founded in 1782, Washington College is the tenth-oldest college in the nation and the first one chartered after American independence. It enrolls approximately 1,250 undergraduates from more than 35 states and a dozen nations. With an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning in the arts and sciences, and more than 40 multidisciplinary areas of study, the College is home to nationally recognized academic centers in the environment, history, and writing. Learn more at washcoll.edu.

Washington College’s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience explores the American experience in all its diversity and complexity, seeks creative approaches to illuminating the past, and inspires thoughtful conversation informed by history. Through educational programs, scholarship and public outreach, the Starr Center bridges the divide between the academic realm and the broader world, while offering dynamic hands-on opportunities to Washington College undergraduates from a wide range of majors. More information can be found at starrcenter.washcoll.edu.

George Washington’s Mount Vernon

Since 1860, more than 85 million visitors have made George Washington’s Mount Vernon the most popular historic home in America. Through thought-provoking tours, entertaining events, and stimulating educational programs on the estate and in classrooms across the nation, Mount Vernon strives to preserve George Washington’s place in history as “First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen.” Mount Vernon is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, America’s oldest national preservation organization, founded in 1853. In 2013, Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association opened the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, which safeguards original books and manuscripts and serves as a center for research, scholarship, and leadership development. Learn more at mountvernon.org.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History was founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, visionaries and lifelong supporters of American history education. The Institute is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the general public. Its mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity, the Gilder Lehrman Institute is supported through the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Institute’s programs have been recognized by awards from the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Organization of American Historians, and the Council of Independent Colleges. Learn more at gilderlehrman.org.

Washington College continues to be recognized in the annual higher education rankings by the nation’s most trusted and respected sources. This includes being once again named as one of the Best 387 Colleges according to The Princeton Review, remaining in the top 100 National Liberal Arts Colleges rankings by U.S. News & World Report (#98), and coming in at #204 overall in the Wall Street Journal/Time Higher Education’s 2022 College Rankings – the 2^nd highest ranking for a private college in Maryland.

The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings, based on 15 performance indicators, is designed to answer the questions that matter most to students and their families – topics such as graduation rates, employment after college, diversity on campus and access to faculty. Forty percent of each school’s overall score comes from student outcomes, including graduates’ salaries and debt; 30% comes from academic resources, including how much the college spends on teaching; 20% from student engagement, including whether students feel prepared to use their education in the real world, and 10% from the learning environment, including the diversity of the student body and academic staff.

The WSJ/THE College Rankings emphasize the return on investment students see after they graduate. Schools that fare the best on this list have graduates who generally are satisfied with their educational experience and land relatively high-paying jobs that can help them pay down student loans.

Washington College earned the second-highest WSJ/THE ranking among private colleges in Maryland, coming in behind Johns Hopkins University.

Since 1992, Princeton Review’s annual “Best Colleges” guide has showcased the schools they recommend to college applicants and their parents as the nation’s best for undergraduate academics. This annual publication features only about 14% of the country’s four-year colleges, and is one of The Princeton Review’s most popular. The company chooses the colleges for the book based on data it annually collects from administrators at hundreds of colleges about their institutions’ academic offerings. The Princeton Review also considers data it gathers from its surveys of college students at the colleges who rate and report on various aspects of their campus and community experiences.

U.S. News and World Report calculates its ranking based on six categories which are each weighted differently: student outcomes (40%), faculty resources (20%), expert opinion (20%), financial resources (10%), student excellence (7%) and alumni giving (3%). In total, U.S. News collected data on more than 1,850 institutions. While data for all schools appears on usnews.com, 1,466 schools were ranked. The data used is collected directly from the schools.

Washington College continues to appears in the ranks of the nation’s best colleges and universities by providing a combination of academic quality and economic value, while embracing our vision of the transformative power of the liberal arts.

Washington College was also featured in the Fiske Guide to College 2022, which profiles about 300 of what they determine are the best and most interesting colleges in the country. Additionally, Intelligent.com named Washington College as one of the top colleges in Maryland, earning the Best Student-to-Faculty Ratio honor.

Founded in 1782, Washington College is the tenth oldest college in the nation and the first chartered under the new Republic. With an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning in the arts and sciences, and more than 40 multidisciplinary areas of study, the College is home to nationally recognized academic centers in the environment, history, and writing. Learn more at washcoll.edu. 

Governor Larry Hogan today announced that he will be providing $1 million to Washington College in his forthcoming Fiscal Year 2023 budget proposal to fund a new senior position within the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience to honor the historic legacy of long-time Maryland Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller, Jr., who passed away in January of this year.

The Miller Director of Civic Engagement will oversee programs that utilize history to address contemporary challenges and involve Washington College students in projects that imbue them with a sense of civic responsibility toward their communities, state, and nation.

“I can think of no better way to honor President Miller’s life and cement his legacy than to fund this directorship dedicated to supporting the very principles to which my good friend committed his historic career in public service,” said Governor Hogan.  “The programs that this endowment makes possible will instill in future generations the same civic mindedness, appreciation of history, and love for our state that made President Miller a giant in Maryland politics for so many decades.”

The Starr Center is a nationally recognized interdisciplinary institute that combines liberal arts and public service through civic engagement programs that serve as models for other institutions of higher education throughout Maryland and across the country.

President Miller was a longtime friend and ardent supporter of Washington College. In 2007, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree in recognition of his leadership and commitment to the education and welfare of all Marylanders.

“I am delighted that Governor Hogan has taken this opportunity to celebrate the enormous scope of Mike Miller’s contributions to the State of Maryland through the establishment of the Miller Director of Civic Engagement,” said Jack S. Griswold, longtime chair of the Board of Visitors and Governors and former president of Washington College.  “Mike was a great friend to the College and to me personally, and I am overwhelmed that his heritage of leadership and public service will be preserved through this important work, engaging our students with our communities, state, and nation.”

“Governor Hogan’s decision will benefit students throughout Washington College, as well as members of the broader community,” said Adam Goodheart, the Starr Center’s Hodson Trust-Griswold Director. “The Starr Center’s new Miller Director of Civic Engagement will work with faculty from many departments to create dynamic learning and service opportunities on and off campus. This educator will instill a deep commitment to social justice, personal ethics, and public service — setting our undergraduates on course to lead lives of purpose and passion.”

Programs initiated, led, and supported by the Miller Director of Civic Engagement will include:

• Internships, fellowships, and research projects that allow Washington College students to work with some of America’s most distinguished institutions.
• Collaborations with local grassroots Maryland nonprofits on projects related to history, civic engagement, and the humanities.
• Chesapeake Heartland: An African American Humanities Project, a major collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, fostering research, public programs, and community outreach that promote the Chesapeake region as the heartland of African American heritage.
• A program in ethics and civic engagement that teaches students an ethos of integrity and public service through hands-on programs that bring them into communities on the Eastern Shore.

Chartered by the Maryland General Assembly in 1782, Washington College is the oldest institution of higher education in the state and was the first college founded in the newly independent United States.

The Apollo Theater, Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Portrait Gallery, the National Constitution Center, the Human Rights Campaign, and Library of Congress—these are just a few of the institutions where Washington College students are interning this summer through the College’s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience. The Starr Center has placed 27 students with internships as part of its Explore America internship program. Representing thirteen majors and all four class years, students are gaining valuable experience while earning stipends in the process.

“This program is truly unique, offering Washington College undergraduates opportunities unmatched at other small liberal arts schools,” said Adam Goodheart, the Starr Center’s Hodson Trust-Griswold Director. “Working with the leadership at major national nonprofits, we arrange for them to set aside positions each summer specifically for our students. Faculty members who know the applicants well carefully match them with the opportunities that will benefit them the most. Finally, we pay the students stipends of up to $5,000 for their summer work.”

Kyle Roberts, Associate Director of Library & Museum Programming at Philadelphia’s American Philosophical Society, has been hosting Explore America summer interns for several years.

“The American Philosophical Society greatly values its partnership with the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience. Each summer we look forward to inviting bright Washington College undergraduates into ongoing archival and digital projects at the nation’s oldest learned society,” he said. “From historic immigration records to a revision of the guide to our African American history collections, the paid interns from the Starr Center work alongside our professional staff to unlock new knowledge that is changing how we understand the past.”

Although most of the internships are indeed virtual this summer, due to COVID precautions, several are not. The National Aquarium in Baltimore is providing soon-to-be senior and chemistry major Hannah Flayhart with a hands-on experience in conservation education.

“Working with guests and children at the National Aquarium this summer has given me a better understanding of what I want to do in the future. I want to continue to engage with people, not only to inform them about animals or science, but also to get across conservation tactics that can help protect our planet,” said Flayhart.

Since the program’s inception at Washington College a decade ago, it has offered over $700,000 in funding to more than 160 students. Financial support comes from an array of private donors and institutional grants.

“By paying the recipients enough to support summer living expenses, the Explore America program levels the socioeconomic playing field and brings more diverse young people into the world of nonprofit leadership,” said Goodheart.

“The work that our students do — from helping plan Smithsonian exhibitions to doing research for forthcoming books — gives them valuable experience and introduces them to mentors who sometimes change the course of their lives.”

It’s also an impressive line for students’ resumes when they enter the work world, and in some cases, the realization of a childhood dream.

“The Explore America internship program is one of the reasons I chose to attend Washington College,” said 2021 Washington College graduate Katy Shenk. “I’m so grateful to the Starr Center for making these experiences possible. Both of my internship positions have allowed me to explore the field of public history through hands-on work and truly rewarding projects.”

Shenk said that her 2019 Explore America internship with the prestigious Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History in New York City inspired her to later design and lead an independent World War II curriculum project when she returned to the Starr Center the following year. This summer, Shenk is interning through Explore America with the Smithsonian American Art Museum, as a curatorial research assistant.

“I’m doing the work of a historian—locating, interpreting, and critically evaluating primary and secondary source materials—a process I refined through many engaging, well-taught history seminars at Washington College. I’m confident these experiences not only helped me secure a place in American University’s graduate public history program but have provided me with the skills and knowledge of the field necessary to thrive there as well.”

About the Starr Center

Washington College’s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience explores the American experience in all its diversity and complexity, seeks creative approaches to illuminating the past, and inspires thoughtful conversation informed by history. Through educational programs, scholarship and public outreach, the Starr Center bridges the divide between the academic realm and the broader world, while offering dynamic hands-on opportunities to Washington College undergraduates from a wide range of majors. More information can be found at starrcenter.washcoll.edu.

About Washington College

Founded in 1782, Washington College is the tenth-oldest college in the nation and the first one chartered after American independence. It enrolls approximately 1,250 undergraduates from more than 35 states and a dozen nations. With an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning in the arts and sciences, and more than 40 multidisciplinary areas of study, the College is home to nationally recognized academic centers in the environment, history, and writing. Learn more at washcoll.edu.

Seven books published in 2020 by the country’s most prominent historians have been named finalists for the George Washington Prize. The annual award recognizes the past year’s best works on the nation’s founding era, especially those that have the potential to advance a broad public understanding of early American history.

“Every day we see evidence that Americans care deeply about the history of the founding of the United States,” commented Doug Bradburn, President of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. “Each of these books provides a window into that transformational era, and sheds light as well on the world we are all making together… all worthy finalists in a very competitive field.”

Created by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and Washington College, the $50,000 George Washington Prize is one of the nation’s largest and most notable literary awards.

“At a time when questions about America’s past are so central to discussions of our nation’s present and future, books like these are essential reading,” said Adam Goodheart, Director of Washington College’s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience.

Written to engage a wide public audience, the selected books provide a “go-to” reading list for anyone interested in learning more about George Washington, his contemporaries, and the founding of the United States of America.

The 2021 George Washington Prize finalists are (in alphabetical order):

• Mark Boonshoft, Aristocratic Education and the Making of the American Republic (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press)
• Vincent Brown, Tacky’s Revolt: The Story of an Atlantic Slave War (Cambridge: Harvard University Press)
• Peter Cozzens, Tecumseh and the Prophet: The Shawnee Brothers Who Defied a Nation (New York: Alfred A. Knopf)
• Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, The Age of Phyllis (Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press)
• Michael W. McConnell, The President Who Would Not Be King: Executive Power under the Constitution (Princeton: Princeton University Press)
• Mary Beth Norton, 1774: The Long Year of Revolution (New York: Alfred A. Knopf)
• William G. Thomas III, A Question of Freedom: The Families Who Challenged Slavery from the Nation’s Founding to the Civil War (New Haven: Yale University Press)

The prize will be awarded to the 2021 winner at a ceremony held at Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home in Virginia, on October 20, 2021.  The ceremony will also recognize past winner, Rick Atkinson, for his book The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 (Henry Holt), as it was not possible to hold the event in person last year.

More information about the George Washington Prize is available at www.mountvernon.org/gwprize

ABOUT THE SPONSORS OF THE GEORGE WASHINGTON PRIZE

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

Now celebrating its twenty-fifth year, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History was founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, visionaries and lifelong supporters of American history education. The Institute is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the general public. Its mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is supported through the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Institute’s programs have been recognized by awards from the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Organization of American Historians, and the Council of Independent Colleges. Learn more at gilderlehrman.org.

George Washington’s Mount Vernon

Since 1860, more than 85 million visitors have made George Washington’s Mount Vernon the most popular historic home in America. Through thought-provoking tours, entertaining events, and stimulating educational programs on the estate and in classrooms across the nation, Mount Vernon strives to preserve George Washington’s place in history as “First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen.” Mount Vernon is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, America’s oldest national preservation organization, founded in 1853. In 2013, Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association opened the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, which safeguards original books and manuscripts and serves as a center for research, scholarship, and leadership development. Learn more at mountvernon.org.

Washington College

Washington College was founded in 1782, the first institution of higher learning established in the new republic. George Washington was not only a principal donor to the college, but also a member of its original governing board. He received an honorary degree from the college in June 1789, two months after assuming the presidency. The college’s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience explores the American experience in all its diversity and complexity, seeks creative approaches to illuminating the past, and inspires thoughtful conversation informed by history. Learn more at www.washcoll.edu.

Washington College will host the 238^th Commencement Exercises on the Campus Green beginning at 10:30 AM on Saturday, May 22. This in-person event is open only to the 306 graduates and their registered guests.  For all others, the event will be live-streamed here, beginning at 10:25 AM on graduation day.

Katie Hood, the chief executive officer of the One Love Foundation, will deliver the keynote address during the ceremony. Under her leadership since 2014, this high-profile organization created in honor of Yeardley Love has become the nation’s leading educator of young people on the topic of relationship abuse. Hood will also receive an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree.

Paris Young ‘21 was selected as the senior class speaker and will offer her remarks immediately following Interim President Wayne Powell’s welcome. Young is a Political Science major who also has a double minor in Black studies and justice, law and society. Young worked for the Starr Center for the past three years and interned at the National Museum for African American History in her hometown of Washington, D.C. She is currently a team leader for the Chesapeake Heartland’s oral history program.

The highlight of the ceremony is the public conferral of degrees on over 300 Washington College graduates. Wayne B. Powell, Interim President, will officially confer the degrees earned and Interim Provost and Dean Michael Harvey will individually present each graduate. A small number of graduates elected to participate virtually via a prepared slide that will be presented on the large video screens.

Harvey will also present the College’s faculty and student awards, as well as the senior honors and prizes. These include the Alumni Association’s Award for Distinguished Teaching, the Jane Huston Goodfellow Memorial Prize, the Sophie Kerr Prize and the George Washington Medal and Award, among others.

This week there are also numerous events and celebrations leading up to Commencement, to include various Departmental Receptions hosted by faculty, the Senior Awards Ceremony (May 20 from 10 AM – 11:30 AM) which can be viewed here, and the announcement of the Sophie Kerr Prize (May 21 at 7:30 PM), which can be viewed here. The six finalists for this prestigious prize were just announced – see full release.

Over the past few weeks, the College has been sharing the voices of members of the Class of 2021 through a series of Senior Spotlights. These stories can be viewed here.

Graduates and their guests are required to abide by the College’s COVID protocols, which includes producing a negative COVID test result. Masks are required. Each graduate could invite two guests. For more information about the schedule of events or general information about commencement, visit the Commencement webpage.

Founded in 1782, Washington College is the tenth oldest college in the nation and the first chartered under the new Republic. With an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning in the arts and sciences, and more than 40 multidisciplinary areas of study, the College is home to nationally recognized academic centers in the environment, history, and writing. Learn more at washcoll.edu. 

The 2020 election “map daddy” and #chartthrob Steve Kornacki joins the Starr Center this week for a conversation on political tribalism and more. Jointly presented by Washington College’s Starr Center and the Rose O’Neil Literary House, the event is scheduled for 5 PM on April 1.

Kornacki will talk about the 1990’s historical roots of our present-day politics from his book The Red and the Blue, as well as how our current tribalism mentality came to be. In addition to gaining fame recently as NBC’s electoral map guru who barely took a break during election night coverage, Kornacki’s articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Boston Globe, and Daily Beast, among others.

Kornacki’s marathon election coverage and his sensible khakis both earned national attention, as he famously stayed awake for 45 straight hours (fueled by Diet Coke), always appearing in his signature outfit. He was recently named to People’s Sexiest Man Alive list.

To join the discussion with Steve Kornacki, register here.  Registration is free and open to the public.

This event is part of the Harwood Lecture Series on American Journalism.

Thursdays with the Starr Center Series

Washington College’s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience has launched this new series of free virtual events every Thursday, bringing best-selling authors, respected journalists, renowned scholars, talented performers, and a variety of other guests to a wide audience during Washington College’s spring semester.

“Thursdays with the Starr Center” is eclectic, conversational, and informal. Events will occur Thursdays at 5 p.m., unless otherwise noted. In addition to original events, the series will also feature the events of campus partners like the Black Studies Program at Washington College.

“These weekly events will capture the energy and diversity of the Washington College community,” said Goodheart. “You can come join a lively discussion on history and politics — or just quietly eavesdrop while you’re starting to fix dinner. We hope you’ll return for a regular date with us each Thursday.”

For more information about the “Thursdays with the Starr Center” event series and upcoming events, including registration and access, please visit https://www.washcoll.edu/learn-by-doing/starr/news_and_events.php.

About the Starr Center

Washington College’s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience explores the American experience in all its diversity and complexity, seeks creative approaches to illuminating the past, and inspires thoughtful conversation informed by history. Through educational programs, scholarship and public outreach, and a special focus on written history, the Starr Center seeks to bridge the divide between the academic world and the public at large.

About Washington College

Founded in 1782, Washington College is the tenth oldest college in the nation and the first chartered under the new Republic. It enrolls approximately 1,450 undergraduates from more than 35 states and a dozen nations. With an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning in the arts and sciences, and more than 40 multidisciplinary areas of study, the College is home to nationally recognized academic centers in the environment, history, and writing. Learn more at washcoll.edu.