The fellowships arise from a substantial gift which Mr. Rovensky made to the Lincoln Educational Foundation in 1961 thanks to the encouragement of Donald L. Kemmerer, his long-time friend, Professor of Economics at the University of Illinois, and president of the Lincoln Educational Foundation. The Lincoln Educational Foundation was founded in 1951 by Mr. Alexander Whitford, an executive of Union Carbide, to promote recognition of the role of private business and entrepreneurship in America’s growth and development.

When the Lincoln Educational Foundation was liquidated in 1984, Professor Kemmerer ensured that the remaining funds were transferred to the University of Illinois where he had been a faculty member since 1937, becoming Professor Emeritus in 1973. He died in 1993.

The monies and the Fellowship program are now administered by the University of Illinois Foundation.

Eligibility
Applicants must be working toward a Ph.D. degree with American business or economic history as the area of major interest. Fellowship recipients must be enrolled in a doctoral program at an accredited college or university in the United States. Preference will be given to applicants who are preparing for a career in teaching and research and who will have completed all graduate course work prior to the Fall of 2011. Awards are non-renewable and may not be taken simultaneously with an Economic History Association graduate dissertation fellowship.

Scholarship Application Deadline: 14 February 2011

Further Scholarship Information and Application