Scholarships

With your support, CGA maintains numerous scholarships for current students. Scroll down to read about all the opportunities!

Louis C. Jones Fellowship

Established in 1985, this fellowship honors Dr. Jones' outstanding achievements in the museum profession and his founding of the Cooperstown Graduate Program in 1964. Dr. Jones worked as an historian, author, folklorist, and director of the New York State Historical Association and The Farmers' Museum. This fellowship provides financial support to students who best exemplify Dr. Jones' commitment to the future of the museum field.

Rural Urban Partnership

Students spend two years in Cooperstown living and working with rural constituencies. The Rural-Urban Partnership funds summer internships at institutions in cities, giving students experience with diverse urban communities.

Alice Hemenway Scholarship

Alice Hemenway '74 was a museum leader committed to education and public service. This award is given to a second-year student who exemplifies dedication to professional standards and practices, service to the museum community, and commitment to linking scholarship, innovative public education, and material culture to deepen and diversify our understanding of Americans past and present.

Daniel Mayer Scholarship

The Daniel D. Mayer Fund for Interpretation through Exhibits is named for Daniel D. Mayer '73, and exhibition designer with a passion for social, industrial, and agricultural history, who dedicated his professional life to helping history museums interpret their collections. His legacy lives on with students today, through this fellowship, awarded annually to a second-year student.

Bruce R. Buckley Lectureship

Named in honor of Dr. Bruce Buckley, a prominent New York state folklorist and dean of the Cooperstown Graduate Program, this lecture brings together students, faculty, alumni, and the Cooperstown community to remember all that Dr. Buckley contributed to the field by honoring a folklorist who has made a significant and lasting contribution to fieldwork and the public understanding of folk culture.

Emily Ann Laird Scholarship

The family and friends of Emily Ann Laird established this scholarship in her memory. Emily was a student in the Cooperstown Graduate Program, class of 2012. She aspired to be a museum educator working with children and the chronically ill. The scholarship will be awarded annually to a second-year student who has overcome a significant challenge.

Langdon G. Wright Fund

Lanny Wright, a beloved faculty member of the Program for more than three decades, loved to drive around the countryside stopping at great rib joints along the way. The Langdon G. Wright Student Professional Development Fund is awarded to students for travel, registration fees, and thesis related expenses needed to attend professional conferences and seminars, or to conduct research.

Minor Wine Thomas Fund

This Fund is named in honor of the former Chief Curator and Director of the New York State Historical Association and The Farmers' Museum. Minor Wine Thomas was a gifted and inspirational teacher at the Graduate Program who developed a pre-industrial technology course. In 2014, the fund purchased external hard drives to archive CGP's digitized photos and oral history collection.

John Ben Snow Scholarship

CGP students enrich the cultural lives of New Yorkers through their research, exhibitions, and public programs. This endowed scholarship was created through gifts of alumni that were matched at a dollar-for-dollar rate by the John Ben Snow Foundation. The John Ben Snow Fellowship recognizes students who are committed to public service.

Ann Stewart Summer Internship Fund

The Ann Stewart Summer Internship is an endowed fund established in memory of Ann Stewart an alumna and later a staff member of the Cooperstown Graduate Program. Ann was extremely dedicated to the students and extremely sensitive to their financial needs. This summer internship is designed to provide a stipend for a full time graduate student, particularly in an urban area which allows the student to engage with public audiences in a diverse community. While students have the opportunity to work with rural audiences throughout the academic year, this summer internship provides the opportunity to gain additional experience with community engagement and service in urban areas. The recipient of this award must have a specific project that is approved by the faculty internship supervisor and has a specific and direct public benefit.