Through fellowships and internships, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society helps to fulfill its mission to educate the public on the history and heritage of the Capitol building and Congress. Fellows and interns at the Society have made significant contributions to the scholarship on these topics. They are responsible for the research and writing behind many of our publications, including our We the People calendar and the Outstanding Members of Congress series. While providing scholars with both experience and exposure, the internships and fellowships also benefit both the Society and the public.
FELLOWSHIPS
Inaugurated in 1986, the Capitol Fellowship Program has provided financial support to more than fifty scholars researching important topics in the art and architectural history of the United States Capitol Complex. Fellowship support permits scholars--selected on the basis of their qualifications and research proposals--to use the extensive documents housed in the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, the Library of Congress and the National Archives. The Fellowship is funded by the United States Capitol Historical Society and jointly administered by the Architect of the Capitol.
Eligibility:
Graduate Students enrolled in a degree program in art or architectural history, American history, American studies, museum studies, or decorative arts, and scholars with a proven record of research and publication may apply.
Research Topic:
The proposed topic must directly relate to some elements of art or architecture within the United States Capitol complex: the Capitol, the congressional office buildings, the Library of Congress buildings, the Supreme Court buildings, and the Botanic Garden. It may include studies of individual artists, architects, or other historical figures and forces. The research must involve the resources of the Architect of the Capitol, including the architectural drawings, manuscripts, and reference collections, or material on the Capitol in the Library of Congress, National Archives, or other specific collections identified in the applicant's proposal.
Terms:
Depending upon the scope of the proposal, the fellowship may be requested for a minimum of one month and a maximum of one year. The fellowship amount is $2,000 per month, up to a maximum of $24,000 for a full year. Each year, the total amount may be given to one project or may be divided, depending upon the quality and scope of the applications received. It is expected that full time will be devoted to research during the tenure of the fellowship. Research space will be provided in the Curator's Office of the Architect of the Capitol. Limited support services, including photocopying (but not typing), also will be provided. Travel and research expenses are to be covered by the monthly stipend. Fellows are responsible for arranging their own housing and transportation.
Selection:
Applications will be judged on the qualifications of the applicant, the significance of the topic, the degree of need for the proposed research, the feasibility of the research plan, and the likelihood that the research will lead to publication. The selection committee will be composed of the Curator and Architectural Historian for the Architect of the Capitol and the Chief Historian of the United States Capitol Historical Society. Additional reviewers may be drawn from the Curator of the Office of History and Preservation of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Curator for the U.S. Senate, and the National Museum of American Art and the National Building Museum. The final selection will be approved by the President of the United States Capitol Historical Society and the Architect of the Capitol.
Final Report:
A brief report of accomplishments must be submitted to the Architect of the Capitol and to the United States Capitol Historical Society at the end of the fellowship period. Copies of the final written paper and any resulting publications must also be submitted.
Important Dates:
Applications must be postmarked by March 15. (Letters of recommendation may arrive later but will be needed by the end of March for the evaluation process.) Applicants will be notified of the selection committee's decision by May 15. The fellowship year begins on September 1 and ends on August 31.
Applications must include:
A curriculum vitae Transcripts of graduate work
Two supporting letters (one from graduate advisor where applicable)
Dates for which the fellowship is requested, with estimated time period for each phase of the proposed research
List of expected sources of income during the proposed period
Research proposal (maximum 5 pages) justifying the importance of the topic to understanding the history of the art and architecture of the Capitol and detailing the relevant resources to be used in the records of the Architect of the Capitol, National Archives, Library of Congress, etc.
Please direct questions to Dr. Barbara Wolanin, Curator for the Architect of the Capitol, at (202) 228-2700 or by email to bwolanin@aoc.gov.
Submit applications in either of the following two ways:
By postal mail to: Dr. Donald Kennon, U.S. Capitol Historical Society, 200 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, D.C., 20002; or fax to 202-544-8244, or email to dkennon@uschs.org
By fax or email to: Dr. Barbara Wolanin, (fax) 202-228-4602; (email) bwolanin@aoc.gov
The U.S. Capitol Historical Society is a private, non-profit, non-partisan educational organization created in 1962 to interpret, preserve and communicate the history of the U.S. Capitol and the U.S. Congress. The Society’s educational programs and publications are designed to make the Capitol, the Congress and its history more accessible to greater numbers of people. The Society sponsors annual scholarly conferences and fellowship programs that contribute fresh and important research on our nation’s democratic and cultural traditions; its staff works closely with the Architect of the Capitol and Committees of Congress to enhance the Capitol collections and archives to make them accessible to Americans of all ages; and it provides special tours, lectures and symposia for its thousands of members and hundreds of thousands of history enthusiasts, scholars, students and the general public.
Each semester the U.S. Capitol Historical Society hosts one or two interns from the undergraduate and/or graduate level to assist the History and Educational Outreach Departments. Interns work on a variety of research-related projects and help administer symposia, youth forums, and other programs. Interns primarily conduct research for our annual We the People historical calendar which involves collecting several historic facts that occurred each day 200 years ago. Research is conducted at various off-site locations, including the Library of Congress's Main Reading Room and the Newspapers and Periodicals Reading Room. Sources include the Journals of the House and Senate, newspapers, diaries, collected papers, encyclopedias, and almanacs. Interns will also prepare and edit calendar text. This is a wonderful opportunity for any self-motivated student who wishes to improve his or her research skills and gain experience in the practical field of history.
The Society is located on Capitol Hill, 3 blocks from Union Station and 5 blocks from Capitol South metro. A small transportation stipend is included. If you are interested in an internship at the Society, please email the Internship Coordinator at uschs@uschs.org
