Department of History selects 3 Richard H. Thomas Scholars

Three Cornell College students are getting the opportunity to study off campus next year, thanks to an endowment set up by the family of The Rev. Dr. Richard H. Thomas to honor his educational legacy at Cornell as professor emeritus of history, chaplain emeritus, and college historian.

Professor Thomas remains an important member of the Hilltop and surrounding community and continues to contribute to important public history initiatives in the area.

Dylan Davison ’19, Wesley Adcock ’19, and Suleiman Shehu ’19 have been named Richard H. Thomas scholars. 

Davison will use her award to participate in an education course.

“I am grateful for the Richard H. Thomas Award because it gives me the opportunity to expand my educational experience beyond the classroom,” Davison said. “This award will allow me to study abroad in Belize and gain a greater knowledge of education and qualitative research.”

Adcock will use his award to study the history of the Holocaust.

“Being a married student who lives off campus, it is hard to find the funds necessary to travel abroad and study fields that I feel passionate about,” Adcock said. “The Richard H. Thomas Award is allowing me to travel to Europe to study the Holocaust in a more personal manner. Words can’t express how happy I am to win this award to help me further my academic journey.”

The award will help fund Shehu’s eight-week, summer internship with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Oklahoma City.

“I will be doing legal research on discrimination of Muslims, and also some other managerial duties, which is important as it will be a step in the right direction as I hope to start Law School in fall of 2019,” Shehu said.

Students can apply for the Richard H. Thomas award throughout the year. It is available to history majors and minors. The history department considers applicants based on set criteria, which includes the student’s academic standing, a completed application, and documentation of financial need. Students can contact Professor Michelle Herder or Professor Catherine Stewart to get more information on how to apply.