The Masterson Fellowship, endowed by Conrad and Ellen Masterson of Cee Vee, Texas, provides opportunities for visiting scholars to conduct research in the Western History Collections for one to two months (or four to eight weeks) during the summer. The fellowship is open to advanced graduate students, faculty, or independent scholars engaged in an original research project of significant scholarly merit that will benefit directly from the utilization of materials in the Western History Collections. An award, or awards, of one to two months (or four to eight weeks) will be made, and priority consideration for at least one fellowship line will be given to research on range management history, the impact of cattle ranching in the American West, or related topics.

The stipend for the Masterson Fellowship is $2,500 per month, per the fellow’s residency length.

The Western History Collections

Founded in 1927 and an integral part of the OU Libraries' Special Collections, the Western History Collections (WHC) are one of the nation’s most important collections of Western Americana. The WHC's greatest strengths are in documentation of Oklahoma and the southern Great Plains, and constitute exceptional resources for scholarly research across many disciplines, including environmental history, economic geology and extractive industries, Native studies, art history and visual culture, transportation and settlement, military history, local and regional studies, and community life. Collections include more than two million historical photographs, more than 2,000 collections of rare manuscript material, and more than 80,000 rare books relating to the history of Native peoples, Oklahoma, the Southern Plains, and the American West. The WHC is also home to the institutional archives of the University of Oklahoma. Through resident fellowships, the WHC seeks to serve as a site of intellectual exchange as well as one of individual research. Learn more at the Western History Collections page.

The University of Oklahoma Libraries

The University Libraries develops and maintains programs that provide access to the informational resources necessary to fulfill the academic, research, artistic, scholarly, and community leadership objectives of the University of Oklahoma. The University Libraries also recognizes its obligation to the local community, the state, other libraries, and scholars who may benefit from the Libraries resources. The Libraries’ Special Collections hold unique and significant materials and include the Western History Collections, the History of Science Collections, the Chinese Literature Translation Archive, the John and Mary Nichols Rare Books and Special Collections, the Harry W. Bass Business Collection, the Boorstin Collection, and the Bizzell Bible Collection. The Libraries support scholarship, teaching, and community engagement through open learning environments, digital initiatives, and public programs.

The University of Oklahoma

OU’s extensive resources for the study of the West include the Western History Collections, the OU Press, the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, the Charles M. Russell Center, Carl Albert Center for Congressional Research, the recently acquired Western Historical Quarterly (WHQ, the flagship journal for western historians), History and Art History graduate programs, and the departments of Anthropology, English, Geography and Environmental Sustainability, and Native American Studies.

The fellowship is open to advanced graduate students, faculty, or independent scholars engaged in an original research project of significant scholarly merit that will benefit directly from the utilization of materials in the Western History Collections.

All candidates must submit the following:

• A research proposal (1,500 words) outlining the research project and plan of work, citing specific Western History Collections collections and their centrality to the research project
• A curriculum vitae
• Candidates for the Masterson Fellowship must attach two letters of support for their specific project from individuals familiar with their work

Successful applications will describe the importance and impact of the research inquiry and will identify defined resources in the Western History Collections that are essential to their work. Fellows will be asked to present their work to the OU community as part of their award. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Deadline for applications: January 20, 2023 for consideration for Summer 2023 fellowships.