Contact: Sammy McDavid
A nationally recognized Mississippi State historian and author is the new adviser for the university's top scholarship program.
John F. Marszalek is succeeding Nancy D. Hargrove as the Ottilie Schillig Leadership Scholars Program Mentor. An English professor who has served in the role for nearly three and a half years, Hargrove soon will begin an academic sabbatical.
Announced each spring, the $28,000 scholarships cover the cost of tuition and fees, room and board, and books during four years of study. First made available in 1987, the awards were established through a major endowment by the private Schillig Trust of Port Gibson.
In addition to sharing the honor of guiding the Schillig Scholars, Marszalek and Hargrove are colleagues in the university's top faculty group. Both are William L. Giles Distinguished Professors, the highest faculty rank bestowed at the Starkville institution.
"Dr. Hargrove has been an outstanding role model, friend and guide to our Schillig Scholars, just as we know Dr. Marszalek will be in his new role as Schillig mentor," said Derek J. Hodgson and Roy H. Ruby in a joint announcement. Hodgson is provost and vice president for academic affairs; Ruby, vice president for student affairs.
A member of the faculty since 1973, Marszalek is a specialist on the American Civil War. His 1992 biography on Union Gen. William T. Sherman was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. His latest work, "The Petticoat Affair: Manners, Mutiny and Sex in Andrew Jackson's White House," also has received considerable national media attention.
Currently, 12 Schillig Scholars are enrolled, with two scheduled to graduate May 9. Earlier this month, seven high school seniors, five from Mississippi and one each from Alabama and Tennessee, were added to the program and will enroll in the fall.
Awarded by a special committee--usually from more than 400 applications--Schillig Scholars participate in a variety of special campus activities and meet regularly with leaders in education, industry, government, and business. They also are expected to be active in student organizations and programs.