George Mills Harper Graduate Student Travel Fund Award

In honor of past president George Mills Harper, SAMLA maintains the Harper Fund to provide graduate students with travel funds to attend the annual conference.

Professor Harper’s academic career spanned over 50 years, and he provided exceptional leadership and service to the association. From his early years on the family farm in the Ozarks to his matriculation from Culver-Stockton College to UNC-Chapel Hill to his later chairmanship of the English Department at Florida State University, Harper concentrated his writing and research efforts in Irish studies, particularly focusing on W. B. Yeats. In 1981, Dr. Harper received an honorary doctorate from Trinity College Dublin in recognition for his critical work in studying Yeats and the occult.

SAMLA 92 Update

Though SAMLA 92 will be held as a virtual event through Accelevents, SAMLA will still accept applications for the 2020 Harper Fund Award. The Harper Fund Committee will select 3-5 winners for this year's award, and each winner will receive a plaque and $100 check. Winners of this year's Harper Fund will be celebrated during SAMLA 92's Award Ceremony, to be held on the afternoon of Saturday, November 14. Plaques and checks will be mailed to the awardees. Please see below for more details.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to receive this award, graduate students must: 1) be presenting as part of a session/panel at the current year's conference, 2) establish or renew their SAMLA membership, 3) register for the conference.
Winners of the Harper Fund Award must attend the conference in order to receive award funds. Winners who decide not to attend should notify SAMLA so we can award the funds to another student.

To apply, please submit this form by August 15.