By ALISA THOMAS

Staff Writer

Two new scholarships for graduate students pursuing master's degrees in history were recently awarded to Jacynda Ammons and Phillip Allison, both graduate students of history.

Ammons received the Louise B. Johnson Graduate Scholarship in the amount of $200 and believes the scholarship will help for her thesis project.

"The scholarship will help me to get the resources I need to finish my thesis," Ammons said. "I have already used some of the money to buy books and I will use the money to get more primary resources such as newspaper articles."

Allison received the Morgan D. Peoples Graduate Scholarship for a little over $200 and believes the recognition to be good for his professional outlook, and he plans to use the funds toward his thesis as well.

"Every award and honor is good to have on one's vitae," Allison said. "The money will be used toward the costs incurred from interlibrary loans for thesis research and trips to other libraries to do research."

A vitae is a record of achievements received during a student's course of study, similar to a resume.

The Johnson Graduate Scholarship was established by the late Louise B. Johnson, an alumna of the graduate program at Tech and a former state legislator who passed away in 2002.

The Peoples Graduate Scholarship was established by Kenneth and John Peoples, children of the late Morgan D. Peoples, a former faculty member in the department of history.

The requirements for the Johnson scholarship were for a woman doing thesis work on a topic concerning Louisiana history.

Ammons's topic is, "From Voter Registration to Political Representation: The Long Civil Rights Movement in Ruston, 1940s-1970s."

Ammon said her focus is "looking at the role of local citizens in making certain that national civil rights legislation was implemented at the local level."

Requirements for the Peoples scholarship included submitting a copy of an approved thesis proposal and a letter of recommendation from his thesis director.

Allison's topic is "More than Words: Human Rights and the Council of Europe, 1949-1960."

Allison said his focus is modern Europe, focusing on the post-World War II period.

Stephen Webre, the head of the department of history, presented both students with their scholarships at the annual initiation meeting of Lambda-Rohm Chapter, Phi Alpha Theta, Tech's history honor society.

He said he considers the student's recognition beneficial to both the students and the university.

"It is obvious that the scholarships provide financial support for the students to receive their degrees," Webre said.

"These scholarship offerings also increase the enrollment at the graduate level."

Both Allison's and Ammons' decision to pursue their master's degrees in history will eventually help both students in obtaining a doctorate in history.

"I am pursuing my master's to prepare to enter a doctoral program and one day teach history at the university level," Allison said.

Ammons said, "I love being in academia, working with the undergraduate students and learning from the professors and students who have similar academic interests."