Fellowships

Student Fellowships

Two Fellowships Annually

The Los Angeles Corral of the Westerners offers two Student Fellowships annually to qualified undergraduate or graduate students in history, geography, archaeology, or allied fields.  In special cases, recent graduates in these fields, already embarked upon teaching them at any educational level, may also be considered.  There is no specific deadline for application.  However, once two Fellows have been accepted during any given calendar year, additional applicants must await consideration until the following year.

Financial Benefits

The stipend is $1,200 paid in eight quarterly payments of $150.  Each fellowship runs for two years.   Additionally, all normal costs for the Fellows to attend the regularly scheduled Los Angeles Corral events, including ten monthly dinner and lecture meetings we call Roundups and two annual special events called the Fandango and the Rendezvous, are covered in addition to the two-year stipend.  Likewise, the Fellows’ initial New Member dues and the regular Member dues for each of the two following years are complimentary.

Continuing Fellowship Benefits

After the two years of the fellowship, Student Fellows are encouraged to maintain their membership in the Los Angeles Corral at special reduced rates.  Additionally, each fellow will be encouraged to apply for the Westerners International Student Fellowship, awarded to a single individual annually by the international Westerners organization.  This fellowship provides a one-time cash award of $1,000.

Criteria for Selection

Each applicant must be a student in good standing at a local college or university, or a recent graduate teaching history, geography, archaeology, or an allied discipline.  We will interview Applicants for an initial screening.  Selected Applicants will be invited to attend a Los Angeles Corral event so that members may meet and evaluate them. Should he or she be found acceptable, notification of the award will be forthcoming within two weeks of this second interview.

Expectations of Corral Fellows

Our expectations are that each Fellow:

1. Will attend the monthly dinners and lectures of the Los Angeles Corral.
2. Get involved where appropriate by helping with such things as audio-visual needs, set up and break down, photography, videography, etc.
3. Fellows will have the opportunity to enhance their academic credentials by writing up a brief synopsis of monthly lectures or writing reviews of recent history books for publishing in The Branding Iron, the Los Angeles Corral’s quarterly publication. We are proud to note that for many of our Fellows, their first scholarly publications came through The Branding Iron.
4. Fellows may also be offered the opportunity to publish their own short research articles, should these be found acceptable by the Corral Publication Committee.

The First Step

For more information about the Los Angeles Corral of the Westerners Student Fellowships,please contact:

John Shea, Sheriff for 2023, at johnshea23@ca.rr.com or Dr. Brian D. Dillon, Westerners International Representative, at 818-893-9406 or briandervindillon@gmail.com.

Summary of Student Fellows

2023 Fellow – Darran Davis
Named in honor of Pete Fries
Past Sheriff

2020 Fellow – Arkaz Vardayan
Named in honor of Abraham Hoffman
Past Sheriff and Living Legend No. 61

2019 Fellow – Alan Griffin
Named in honor of Paul McClure
Past Sheriff

2018 Fellow – Jovanny Gochez
Named in honor of William J. Warren
Past Sheriff

2017 Fellow – Amanda Martinez
Named in honor of  Denise N. Ruhlow
First Woman Past Sheriff

2017 Fellow – Dennis Bermudez
Named in honor of   Monsignor Francis J. Weber
Past Sheriff & Living Legend # 60

2016 Fellow – John Dillon
Named in honor of Jerry R. Selmer
Past Sheriff & Living Legend # 63

2015 Fellow – Aaron Tate
Named in honor of Dr. Gary D. Turner
Past Sheriff & Living Legend # 62

2014 Fellow – Patrick Mulvey
Named in honor of John W. Robinson
Past Sheriff & Living Legend # 53