Awards & Prizes

The Philip M. Hicks Prizes are endowed by friends of Philip M. Hicks, former professor of English and Chairman of the English Literature Department. They are awarded to the students who submit the best critical essays on any topic in the field of literature.

The Snyder prize is funded by the Department of English Literature in memory of Susan Snyder, distinguished Professor of Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature and Chairman of the Department. It is awarded to a first-year student who submits the best critical essay on a topic in the field of literature.

The John Russell Hayes Poetry Prizes are offered for the best original poem or for a translation from any language.

The Lois Morrell Poetry Award, given by her parents in memory of Lois Morrell '46, goes to the student who has submitted the best original poem in the annual competition for this award. The fund also supports campus readings by visiting poets.

The William Plumer Potter Public Speaking Fund and Prize in Fiction was established in 1927. It provides funds for the collection of recorded literature and sponsors awards for the best student short stories. The fund is also a major source of funds for campus appearances by poets and writers.

The Morrell-Potter Summer Stipend in Creative Writing, intended to enable a summer's writing project, is awarded by the English Literature Department to a poet or fiction writer of exceptional promise in the spring of the junior year.

The Snyder-Potter Summer Stipend in Literary Criticism supports students in summer learning experiences related to their course-work in the English major. These experiences may involve independent research projects or work with faculty on research of mutual interest; students may also request support for unpaid internships in areas relevant to their studies and/or their future plans.