William H. Magruder Memorial Scholarship

Candidate must be an upcoming junior, senior, or graduate student in the English Department. Candidate must also have demonstrated academic achievement. A letter of recommendation from a faculty member is required.

Award
Varies
Deadline
03/01/2025
Supplemental Questions
  1. Please ask two (2) instructors to submit letters of recommendation.
    • Reference #1
    • Reference #1
  2. Professor William H. Magruder became the head of the English Department at Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College, now Mississippi State University, in 1884, and he remained in that position for nearly thirty years. There are just a few commemorative documents from which we can learn about Dr. Magruder, including one that he composed himself. Please read these documents, which are held by MSU Library’s Special Collections, and which you will find in a single PDF called “Magruder Documents” on the English Department website by looking under the heading “English,” then “Scholarships,” then “Magruder Scholarship.” As you read, note who wrote each document, for what occasion, and in what year. Choose any two of the five documents and write an essay of approximately 500 words analyzing what we can learn about the values of those who wrote them by what they wanted their readers to remember most. Be sure to quote from the two documents and cite them correctly. You are not required to use any other sources, but you are allowed to do so (if you do, be sure to cite them correctly, too). Please feel free to email Dr. Kelly Marsh with any questions at kmarsh@english.msstate.edu.