NSCDA-IL Presents 2019 Award for Graduate Study in American History
The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of Illinois is delighted to recognize and congratulate Ms. Kelly Schmidt, who will receive our 2019 award for graduate study in American History. Ms. Schmidt is a candidate for a Ph.D. in United States History and Public History at Loyola University of Chicago.
Dr. Kyle Roberts, Associate Professor of Public History and New Media and Director, Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities at Loyola University of Chicago, eloquently supported Ms. Schmidt, underscoring her qualities as a scholar who has adeptly risen to the challenges of historical research through her innovative and particular use of digital humanities approaches to uncover source experiences. Her research investigates the lives and experiences of the enslaved people who belonged to the Jesuit Catholic religious order in the central and southern United States prior to the Civil War. Her dissertation's focus is primarily the study of slavery from the perspective of the enslaved.
Dr. Roberts offers that Ms. Schmidt's work is already breaking new ground in the study of religion and American slavery. As primary historical researcher for the recently launched Slavery, History and Memory Reconciliation Project for The Jesuit Central and South Province, she has availed herself of a far greater amount of source material than anyone knew existed. He adds that undeterred by the dearth of existing source information, "Kelly has embraced the challenge and sought out other types of materials that help her understand the distinct experience of those who worked on Jesuit-owned plantations or were domestic servants in the Jesuits' colleges and houses."
THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE COLONIAL DAMES OF AMERICA IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS (NSCDA-IL): Each year, NSCDA-IL presents a $3,000 award to a graduate student in American History. Part of the mission of our Society is to help educate our fellow citizens and ourselves in our country's history and, in so doing, develop an appreciation of our colonial past and our obligation to uphold the values and responsibilities set forth by our ancestors. To that end we feel it is important to support scholars committed to research in subjects related to American History. To learn more, please visit www.nscda-il.org.