John T. Dukes Memorial Scholarship in English

The John T. Dukes Memorial Scholarship in English, originally established in 2000 as The John T. Dukes Memorial Essay Prize in Composition and revised in 2021, honors the memory of John T. Dukes, father of University of Akron Department of English faculty member Dr. Thomas Dukes.  John T. Dukes was a U.S. Army sergeant and barber whose long-held desire to pursue a degree in higher education was unfortunately prevented due to profound dyslexia. However, the inspiring example of his life led his son to pursue education and change the lives of students at The University of Akron. With this scholarship Dr. Dukes honors the memory of his father and uplifts students achieving their education.  

The revision of this fund in 2021 renamed it to The John T. Dukes Memorial Scholarship in English and converted the fund from an award to a scholarship. 

Prize:

TBD, but historically $1,500

Who can enter:

• Recipients of The John T. Dukes Memorial Scholarship in English shall be full-time undergraduate students pursuing degrees in English. At the time of application recipients must have attained either junior or senior academic standing and carry a 3.0 GPA or higher. Recipients will be selected by the chairperson of the UA English Department.  

Submission Guidelines:

• Students should apply for the award with a letter to the Chair of the Department of English, explaining how the scholarship will benefit the applicant in his/her/their education.
• The letter should be double-spaced in 12-point font, preferably Times New Roman.
• Student should include his/her name, email address, and student ID number on the letter.
• Save the title of your document in “LAST NAME-Award Title” format (for example, SMITH-Slocum Scholarship).
• Upload your document in PDF form.
• The submission link will become available in February 2025.