AMERICAN STUDIES
The Doshisha American Studies Prize, a gift from Amherst House, Doshisha University, is awarded for the American studies honors thesis judged by the Department as most likely to stimulate interest in and understanding of America overseas—with a view toward possible publication in Japan.
The George Rogers Taylor Prize is awarded to the student who, in the opinion of the Department, shows the most promise for creative and scholarly work in American Studies.
ANTHROPOLOGY/SOCIOLOGY
The Donald S. Pitkin Prize in Anthropology-Sociology, established in honor of the founder of that department on the occasion of his retirement, is given to that student whose honors thesis best exemplifies the humane values to which Professor Pitkin committed his research and teaching.
ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES
The Architectural Studies Prize is awarded to the honors thesis judged best by the Program for its qualities of clarity and originality in affirming the interdisciplinary richness of architecture.
ART AND THE HISTORY OF ART
The Hasse Prize, established in memory of Adrian H. Hasse '43, is awarded for the best submitted work having a human figure as a theme.
The Anna Baker Heap Prize, established by Arnold N. Heap of the Class of 1873, is awarded to that senior who submits the best essay in the field of "Art".
The Athanasios Demetrios Skouras Prize, given in memory of Mr. Skouras of the Class of 1936, who died in 1943 in Athens as a result of Nazi reprisal killings, is awarded to a student who, in the opinion of the department of art and the history of art, has created an outstanding work of art.
ASIAN LANGUAGES AND CIVILIZATIONS
The Doshisha Asian Studies Prize from the income of a gift from Amherst House, Doshisha University, is awarded for the best undergraduate honors thesis pertaining to Asia.
ASTRONOMY
The Porter Prize, established by the late Eleazer Porter of Hadley, is awarded for proficiency in first-year astronomy.
ATHLETICS
The Manstein Family Award, given by Carl '72, Mark '74 and Joanne Manstein '83, is awarded to the outstanding senior varsity athlete who intends to pursue a career in medicine or a medical field.
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
The Biochemistry and Biophysics Prize is awarded to the student who, in the opinion of the faculty, has prepared the best thesis in the Program.
BIOLOGY
The Sawyer Prize is awarded to that second-semester sophomore who, in the opinion of the Biology Department, has shown the most promise as a student of biology.
The Oscar E. Schotté Award is given to that member of the graduating class who, in the opinion of the department, has done the best independent work in biology.
BIOLOGY AND GEOLOGY
The Harvey Blodgett Scholarship, established by Frederick H. Blodgett in memory of his grandfather, Harvey Blodgett of the Class of l829, is awarded to aid student work in biology and geology in their educational phases as distinct from their more technical and strictly scientific phases.
combined with
The Phi Delta Theta Scholarship, established by the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, is awarded as a scholarship at the Woods Hole Marine Laboratory to a student for proficiency in biology.
BLACK STUDIES
The Edward Jones Prize is given in honor of the College's first black alumnus. It is awarded by the Black Studies Department to a graduating senior for the best honors thesis which addresses a present or future issue of concern to black people in Africa and the Diaspora.
CHEMISTRY
The David R. Belvetz '54 Memorial Fund Award was established by family and friends of David R. Belevetz and is awarded to support the work of an Amherst student engaged in preparing a senior honors thesis, as determined by the Department .
The Howard Waters Doughty Prize is awarded to that member of the senior class who, in the opinion of the Chemistry Department, has prepared the best honors thesis.
The Frank Fowler Dow Prizes, established by Fayette B. Dow in memory of his father, are awarded to a senior preparing to enter medical school and whose undergraduate work indicates a career of distinction in medicine.
The Everett H. Pryde Research Award is presented annually to a senior who has been an outstanding teaching assistant in chemistry and who shows great promise for carrying out research in science or medicine.
The White Prize is awarded by the Chemistry Department to that chemistry major in the junior class who seems most likely to benefit from a summer=s research experience at Amherst. It consists of a summer fellowship.
CLASSICS
The Anthony and Anastasia Nicolaides Award, established by Cleanthes Anthony Nicolaides =68, in honor of his parents and in testimony of their belief in the goodness of science, is awarded to the senior who presents the best thesis on the topic of Greek science and mathematics from Homeric times to 1453 A.D.
COMPUTER SCIENCE
The Computer Science Prize is awarded to a senior who has completed an honors thesis and who has achieved the best performance in the study of computer science. The award is based on the thesis and overall achievement in computer science.
ECONOMICS
The Bernstein Prize, funded by a gift from the Bernstein family in honor of the work their son, Jeffrey '91, did at Amherst College, is awarded to the senior who has done particularly outstanding honors work in economics.
The Economics Department Junior Class Prize, awarded to that member of the junior class who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has achieved a record of excellence in the study of economics at Amherst College.
The Hamilton Prize, established by his former students in memory of Professor Walton Hale Hamilton, distinguished member of the Department of Economics from l915 to l923, is awarded to that student other than a senior who ranks highest in the introductory economics course.
The James R. Nelson Memorial Award and The James R. Nelson Prize were established from the income of a fund established by former students, colleagues and friends to encourage and recognize the scholarly and humane qualities that Professor Nelson exemplified and sought to foster in his students.
The James R. Nelson Memorial Award is presented to that senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has achieved excellence in the study of economics while pursuing a broad liberal education.
The James R. Nelson Prize is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has written a distinguished honors thesis that applies economic analysis to an important question of public policy.
The Jeanne E. Reinle Prize, named after Jeanne Reinle, the Academic Department Coordinator of the Economics
Department for 30 years, whose inviting and engaging presence welcomed and supported generations of Amherst Economics students and faculty, is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, exemplifies a commitment to building community in the Economics Department and a passion for Economics.
ENGLISH
The Academy of American Poets Prize is awarded annually for the best poem or group of poems, preferably on nature, submitted by an undergraduate.
The Armstrong Prize, established in part by Collin Armstrong of the Class of 1877 in memory of his mother, Miriam Collin Armstrong, is awarded to members of the freshman class who excel in composition
The Collin Armstrong Poetry Prize, established in part by Mrs. Elizabeth H. Armstrong, is awarded to the undergraduate author of the best original poem or group of poems.
The Elizabeth Bruss Prize is presented to that senior English major who in the judgment of the English Department best represents those qualities of breadth and imagination exemplified by Elizabeth Bruss.
The Corbin Prize, established by the estate of William Lee Corbin of the Class of 1896, is awarded for an outstanding original composition in the form of poetry or an informal essay.
The G. Armour Craig Award for Prose Composition is awarded to that junior or senior who writes the best autobiographical essay on an experience of intellectual discovery.
The Peter Burnett Howe Prize for excellence in prose fiction was established by a gift from Robert B. Howe '30 in memory of his son Peter Burnett Howe '60.
The Rolfe Humphries Poetry Prize is presented to that senior who has achieved the greatest sense of poetic form in his or her undergraduate writing. The award is made on the basis of three submissions to the English Department in the applicant's senior year and may include writing produced during the undergraduate years
The Harry Richmond Hunter Jr. Prize, established in memory of Harry Richmond Hunter Jr. '29, by his parents, is awarded to that member of the sophomore class who presents the best essay on a topic approved by the English Department.
The James Charlton Knox Prize was established by the friends of Jim Knox '70, to honor his memory and recognize his abiding interest in English literature. It is given to the outstanding English student who demonstrates the greatest integration of scholarship, interest and creativity in the study of English.
The MacArthur-Leithauser Travel Award, from the income of a gift by the MacArthur Foundation to the College in 1985 at the request of Brad Leithauser, MacArthur Fellow and Visiting Writer at the College for 1984-85, is given annually by the English Department to a sophomore or junior of creative promise who might most benefit from exposure to a foreign landscape, for the purpose of enabling the student to travel outside the continental United States.
The Ralph Waldo Rice Prize, established by Mrs. Mary Rice Jenkins in memory of her brother of the Class of 1910, is awarded for the best essay on "The Liberal College and Christian Citizenship" or any subject named by the faculty. The prize this year is awarded for the best portfolio submitted towards senior honors.
The Laura Ayres Snyder Poetry Prize, endowed by a gift from Jeffrey F. Snyder '60, in honor of his daughter, Laura Ayres Snyder '89, is awarded to a member of the junior class and is intended to subsidize a student-poet during the summer between his or her junior and senior years. The judges of the prize are one faculty member each from the Departments of English, Philosophy, and Physics in even numbered years and English, History, and Biology in odd numbered years.
The Stephen E. Whicher Prize, established in memory of Stephen E. Whicher '36 for the best essay by a senior in the interpretation of American literature in the Department of English or American Studies.
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Jan E. Dizard Prize in Environmental Studies, Established on the occasion of his retirement, the prize honors Professor Dizard for his role in founding the Department and is awarded to one or more members of the graduating class, who in the opinion of the Department, exemplify the field of environmental studies in academic work.
EUROPEAN STUDIES
The European Studies Prize awarded to the student who has written a thesis with great distinction that is dedicated to the analysis and exploration of cultures of Europe throughout history or in the
present.
FILM AND MEDIA STUDIES
The Film and Media Studies Award awarded to an honors student in the Film and Media Studies Program for outstanding poetics in filmmaking.
FRENCH
The Jeffrey J. Carre Award, established in 1983 by his family, friends, professional colleagues and students, is presented to a sophomore or junior who has demonstrated excellence in the French language. The prize is to be used toward travel in France during the summer following the award.
The Frederick King Turgeon Prize in French Literature was established by former students of Professor Turgeon upon the occasion of his retirement. It is used for the award of a book to the student who has done particularly distinguished work in French during the year.
GEOLOGY
The Walter F. Pond Prize, established in honor of Walter Pond '07, is awarded to the senior who has submitted the best honors thesis in geology.
The David F. Quinn Memorial Award is awarded in memory of David Quinn '80 to an outstanding senior who has made a positive contribution to geology at Amherst through character, leadership, enthusiasm, and participation in departmental activities.
The Belt-Brophy Prize is awarded to that student at the end of the junior year who, in the judgment of the staff of the Department of Geology, has shown the greatest promise for success as a geologist. The prize consists of a Brunton compass with field case, the most versatile field tool of the geologist.
GERMAN
The Consulate General Prize for Academic Achievement in German Literature, made available by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Boston, is awarded to that student who, in the judgment of the Department of German, has written the best paper as part of a German course.
The Consulate General Prize for German Studies is made available by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Boston. It is awarded to that junior or senior who, in the judgment of the Department of German, has made a superior contribution to any aspect of German studies.
GREEK
The William C. Collar Prize, established by William C. Collar of the Class of 1859, is awarded to the member of the freshman class who has made on a written examination the best version in English of a previously unseen page from some Greek author.
The Hutchins Prize, established by Waldo Hutchins of the Class of 1842, is awarded to a senior for excellence in Greek.
HISTORY
The Asa J. Davis Prize is awarded to a student who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in the study of the History of Africa and the Black Diaspora and whose work best reflects the comprehensive interest of Asa Davis in historical and cultural contacts between Africa, the Old World and the Americas.
The Alfred F. Havighurst Prize, intended for the purchase of books, is awarded to that major in the Department of History who has in four years at Amherst best fulfilled the standards of excellence and humane scholarship exemplified by Professor Havighurst during his teaching career at Amherst College.
JAPANESE
The Smith Prizes established as part of the Nihon Ryuugaku Fellowship Fund, the Smith Prizes recognize two
high-achieving graduating seniors who have majored in Japanese within the Department of
Asian Languages and Civilizations.
JOURNALISM
The Samuel Bowles Prize, established by Samuel Bowles King '02, to stimulate interest in journalism as a career, is awarded to a student who has demonstrated proficiency in journalism.
LATIN
The Bertram Prizes, established by John Bertram of Salem, are two prizes awarded to students who, together with attaining a high average in the Latin courses of the senior year, present the best essays connected with these courses.
The Billings Prizes were established by Frederick Billings in memory of Parmly Billings of the Class of 1884. Two prizes are awarded for general excellence in the Latin courses of the sophomore year, together with the best essays on special topics connected with the authors read in that year.
The Crowell Prizes were established in memory of Edward Payson Crowell of the Class of 1853. Two prizes are awarded--one for the highest scholarship in freshman Latin courses and the other to the students who, together with attaining a high average in the Latin courses of the junior year, present the best essays on some approved topic connected with the junior Latin course.
The Dr. Ernest D. Daniels Latin Prize, established in honor of Dr. Daniels of the Class of 1890, is awarded to the graduating senior who has submitted the best honors thesis on a Latin subject.
LAW, JURISPRUDENCE AND SOCIAL THOUGHT
The Nasser Hussain Prize honors the memory of Nasser Hussain, a distinguished scholar and beloved teacher,
who taught in Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought from 1996 until his death in 2015. It is given annually to a graduating senior for distinguished achievement in that major.
LIBRARY
The Frederick S. Lane ’36 Fellowship for Creative Artists is awarded to students using historical and rare source materials from Amherst College Archives and Special Collections toward projects in the arts.
MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS
The Robert H. Breusch Prize is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the faculty in mathematics, has presented the best honors thesis in mathematics.
The Five College Statistics Prize awarded to a student for making an outstanding contribution to statistics and/or the
sta- tistics community in the Five Colleges. Contributions considered include an independent research, thesis or capstone course project; service to statistics on their campus (or across campuses); use of Five College statistics resources; and outstanding coursework and exploration of the statistics curriculum.
The Walker Prizes in Problem Solving, established by William J. Walker of Newport, Rhode Island. Two prizes are awarded for proficiency in mathematics of the first year and two prizes for proficiency in mathematics of the second year. In each case the award is determined by an examination.
The Walker Award for Leadership awarded to a student for outstanding leadership and for contributions to the mathematics and statistics community at Amherst.
The Walker Award in Mathematics & Statistics is awarded to a student who has demonstrated initiative, creativity, perseverance, and achievement in Mathematics and Statistics.
The Walker Teaching Award statistics Awarded to a student for accomplishment and promise in teaching and tutoring of mathematics or statistics.
MEAD ART MUSEUM
The Wise Award for Collection Research is presented annually to a student in any academic department whose senior thesis, in the judgment of the Mead Art Museum’s curators and director, most effectively analyzes, interprets or responds to an object in the museum’s collection.
The Wise Award for Studio Art Mead is presented to a student in the college for distinction in the completion of an original work or works of art and the purchase thereof. The prize-winning work of art will become the property of the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College.
MUSIC
The Sylvia and Irving Lerner Piano Prize is awarded to that student who has demonstrated the greatest skill and musicianship as a pianist.
The Mishkin Prize, established by the Friends of Music, is awarded in memory of Professor Henry G. Mishkin to that senior selected by the Department of Music who produces the best thesis on a critical or musical topic.
The Lincoln Lowell Russell Prize, established by J. W. Russell Jr. of the Class of 1899 in memory of his son, is awarded to the seniors who have done most to foster the singing spirit at Amherst.
The Eric Edward Sundquist Prize, established in memory of Mr. Sundquist of the Class of 1936, is awarded to that senior who has demonstrated excellence in musical composition and performance.
NEUROSCIENCE
The James Olds Memorial Neuroscience Award, established by the Swerdlow Family Foundation in recognition of the contributions made to the neurosciences by Dr. Olds of the Class of 1947, is presented to the student whose research in the neurosciences is judged, by the faculty of the Neuroscience Program, to be of highest quality.
PHILOSOPHY
The Gail Kennedy Memorial Prize is awarded to a senior major in Philosophy in recognition of a distinguished honors essay.
PHYSICS
The Bassett Physics Prizes were established by Preston Rogers Bassett '13. Two prizes may be awarded each year to those students who have distinguished themselves by the excellence and maturity of their performance in the class and laboratory work of the first course in Physics.
The William Warren Stifler Prize, established by Professor Stifler, is awarded to a senior who has majored in physics and especially excelled in the course on electricity and magnetism.
POLITICAL SCIENCE
The Densmore Berry Collins Prize in Political Science is given annually in memory of Mr. Collins, of the Class of 1940, for the best honors thesis in political science.
PSYCHOLOGY
The Haskell R. Coplin Memorial Award, established in memory of Mr. Coplin, Professor of Psychology, recognizes that member of the graduating class who, in the opinion of the Psychology Department, displays the scholarly and humane qualities that best exemplify Professor Coplin. The prize is to a senior who has shown distinguished work in psychology classes and in an honors thesis, and who has contributed to the life of the department.
PUBLIC SPEAKING
The Bancroft Prizes, established by Frederic Bancroft of the Class of 1882, are awarded to the two seniors who produce the best orations. Both composition and delivery are considered.
The Gilbert Prize, established by William O. Gilbert of the Class of 1890, is awarded to a member of the junior class who produces the best oration. Both composition and delivery are considered in making the award.
The Hardy Prizes, established by Alpheus Hardy of Boston, are awarded for excellence in extemporaneous speaking.
The Kellogg Prizes, established by Rufus B. Kellogg of the Class of 1858, consist of two prizes that are awarded to members of the sophomore or freshman classes for excellence in declamation.
The Rogers Prize was given by Noah C. Rogers of the Class of 1880 and is awarded for excellence in debate.
RELIGION
The Moseley Prizes, established by Thomas Moseley of Hyde Park, are awarded to seniors for the best essays on a subject approved by the Department of Religion.
RUSSIAN
The Carol Prize in Russian, given by David James Carol '77 in honor of his parents, Joseph and Roberta, is awarded to the student who has demonstrated the greatest dedication and commitment to Russian.
The Mikhail Schweitzer Memorial Book Award, established by students, parents and friends in fond memory of Mikhail Schweitzer, survivor of the Soviet Gulag, author, and custodian at Amherst College, for the award of books to the student who, in the judgment of the Russian Department, most shares Misha Schweitzer's love of Russian literature and culture.
SEXUALITY, WOMEN’S AND GENDER STUDIES
The Rose Olver Prize is awarded for the best thesis on sexuality, women's and/or gender studies.
SPANISH
The Pedro Grases Prizes for Excellence in Spanish is given by a member of the Class of 1939 to honor a great teacher and cordial scholar. It is awarded each year to that senior who has shown the greatest progress in the ability to read Hispanic literature with insight and to write and speak Spanish with intelligence and humane sensitivity.
THEATER AND DANCE
The Raymond Keith Bryant Prize, an annual gift from Robert E. and Ethel M. Bryant in memory of their son of the Class of 1936, is awarded to that student who, in the opinion of the judges, gives the best performance of the year in a Masquers' play.
SCHOLARSHIP AND CITIZENSHIP
The Charles Hamilton Houston Fellowship is an annual gift awarded to a graduating senior who best personifies a commitment to realizing his or her humane ideals, much in the way Charles Houston '15 devoted his life to the struggle for equal protection under the law for African-Americans in the United States. (Black Studies and President's office)
The Howard Hill Mossman Trophy, awarded annually to the member of the senior class who has brought, during his/her four years at Amherst, the greatest honor in athletics to the Alma Mater--the word "honor" to be interpreted as relating both to achievement and to sportsmanship. (Athletics)
The Gordon B. Perry Memorial Award is given to a freshman in good academic standing, whose participation and attitude in freshman athletics and other activities are outstanding. (Athletics)
THE DAVID KIRP ‘65 STONEWALL PRIZE established by David L. Kirp of the class of 1965 and other alumni, is awarded annually to that student who produces a work of exceptional intellectual or artistic merit pertaining to the queer, bisexual, intersex, gay, lesbian, or transgender experience.
(SWAGS)
The Woods-Travis Prize, an annual gift in memory of Josiah B. Woods of Enfield and Charles B. Travis of the Class of 1864, is awarded for outstanding excellence in culture and faithfulness to duty as a scholar. (Registrar's office: awarded to top student(s) in class.)