This scholarship provides financial assistance to meritorious students pursuing an academic interest in Greek history and culture and their impact upon the intellectual,   political, and aesthetic course of western civilization and, indeed of global history. The development of rational thought in Greece initiated a process and not a finished achievement. Around the fifth century B.C., some advanced intellectuals broke with the mythopoeic outlook of the Near East and conceived a new way of viewing nature and human society. Their ideas established the basis of a western scientific and philosophic tradition that extends into the twenty-first century A.D. and now blends with other, non-western traditions. The methodological scope of their inquiry has been equally enormous, for it opened the way for theoretical thinking, a critical analysis of theories, and the systematization of knowledge in fields as diverse as politics, law, ethics, art, drama, and history. The approach pioneered by the Greeks continues to shape our understanding of those institutions, organizations, and individuals that have sought to realize this humanistic ideal in navigating and influencing complex times.

The Stephen J. Sr. and Beatrice Brademas Memorial Scholarship therefore offers an opportunity for undergraduate students to explore not only the foundations of western history and thought, it also enables them to build upon the theoretical and methodological ramifications of the Greek realization that it was possible to rise above myth and custom to discover the means of giving rational order to nature and society. In line with the tradition of the Greek humanists, the Brademas Scholarship supports research into the concepts of political and ethical freedom, the maximum cultivation of human talent, the full development of human personality, and the deliberate pursuit of excellence.

The Stephen J. Sr. and Beatrice Brademas Memorial Scholarship is open to outstanding incoming freshman students who intend to major either in History or Social Studies Education with an interest in European or World History. Criteria include the submission of an application and a letter of recommendation from the student's high school history teacher. The scholarship is renewable for four years.

Application forms are available online or from the Department of History main office, Room 200, Burkhardt Building. Students must return the completed form, one letter of recommendation, and a 500-750 word statement by February 20, 2009.

Past Recipients:

Rachel Fulton- 2008   

Todd M. Hurst - 2007