Smithsonian Libraries Announces Penick Fellowship Program

The Smithsonian Institution Libraries announces the new Margaret Henry Dabney Penick Resident Scholar Program. Founded by a bequest of Margaret P. Nuttle, this program includes a fellowship that supports scholarly research into the legacy of Patrick Henry and his political circle, the early political history of Virginia, the history of the American Revolution, founding-era ideas and policy making, as well as science, technology and culture in Colonial America and the Early National Period. 

The stipend for this fellowship is $5,000 a month for up to nine consecutive months. Senior scholars are particularly encouraged to apply; however, applicants in their postdoctoral phase or those with outstanding achievements in their predoctoral phase may be also considered for the fellowship. Fellows are expected to give at least one public lecture during the tenure of the fellowship and to assist in other programming related to the topic. Fellows are also asked to cooperate with the Library administration in planning scholarly programs.

The Libraries offers its fellows the rich holdings of its research collections, especially at the National Museum American History Library, the Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery Library and the American Civilization Collection at the National Museum of the American Indian. The Libraries also provides guidance and contact information to relevant historical collections in the Washington, D.C., area, especially regarding the holdings of Patrick Henry materials and resources of the pre-American Revolution and the Colonial era.

The deadline for applications to the 2011 fellowship program is April 1. For application materials and further information about the Libraries’ Special Collections, visit www.sil.si.edu/Galaxy.cfm?id=3.32 or e-mail SILResidentScholars@si.edu.

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SI-34-2010