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William E. Foley Research Fellowship

The Friends of the Missouri State Archives offer the William E. Foley Research Fellowship to support the use of public records in scholarly research. Any research project that utilizes the holdings of the Missouri State Archives, and/or its St. Louis branch, to further knowledge of state or national history is eligible to apply.

The Archives is the official repository for all state records of historical value. With holdings dating back to 1770, its collection consists of more than 338 million pages of paper records; 770,000 photographs and prints; 9,000 maps; nearly 200,000 microfilm reels; tens of thousands of state publications; and an important assemblage of audiotapes, DVDs/CDs and videos. This extensive collection documents the western fur trade, slavery, the Civil War, military records from the War of 1812 to World War II, European immigration and modern Missouri politics, among many other Missouri history-related subjects. Among the Archives' larger records series are the papers of Missouri governors, general assembly records, Supreme Court of Missouri case files, records and publications from state departments and agencies and millions of microfilmed county and municipal documents.

Fellows receive a $1,500 award to defray expenses incurred when visiting the Archives and/or its St. Louis branch. Distribution occurs in two payments: the first of $700 upon the recipient returning a signed copy of a research and publication guidelines form, and the second of $800 after completion of the proposed research.

Recipients must complete their research at the Archives within one year of the award notification and are required to submit a final report explaining their work. They must also acknowledge the Friends of the Missouri State Archives and the William E. Foley Research Fellowship in any published work(s) resulting from their research at the Missouri State Archives, as well as provide the Archives with a copy.

To apply for the 2023 William E. Foley Research Fellowship, fill out an application form and submit it along with a short research proposal (no more than 1,000 words), curriculum vitae and list of three professional references to Brian Rogers, Principal Asst. for Boards and Commissions, Missouri State Archives, P.O. Box 1747, 600 W. Main St., Jefferson City, MO 65102. Applicants can also email materials to brian.rogers@sos.mo.gov. The applicant submission deadline is Friday, March 31, 2023.

Selection of the 2023 Fellow will be based on the soundness of the research proposal, its relation to the holdings of the Missouri State Archives as demonstrated by specific collection citations, the potential of the research to impact the academic community and the qualifications of the applicant. Proposals making use of materials only available onsite at the Missouri State Archives or its St. Louis branch are preferred over those involving online records. Notification of the award will occur by April 30, 2023.

Recent William E. Foley Research Fellows

2022 — Evan Elizabeth Hart, Missouri Western State University, Abortion on Trial: The State of Missouri v. Goodson and Abortion in 1920s Missouri

2021 — Lauren N. Henley, University of Richmond, Topic: Striking it Rich: Black Children and Allotment Policies in Jim Crow America

2020 — Jeremy C. Neely, Missouri State University, Topic: Missouri Reconstructed: Freedom and Loyalty in the Post-Civil War West

2019 — Daniel Farrell, University of Cincinnati, Topic: Assessing Loyalty, Punishing Treason: The Arresting and Jailing of Civilians under United States Martial Law during the American Civil War

2018 — Luke Ritter, Troy University, Topic: Immigrants and Crime in the 19th Century Midwest

2017 — Tangi Villerbu, La Rochelle Université, Topic: Missouri, the French Atlantic and the Early Republic

2016 — Megan L. Bever, Missouri Southern State University, Topic: Drinking, Self-Control and Loyalty in the Civil War Era