Eleanor Luxton Historical Foundation

General Description of Awards

*Currently not accepting applications*

The Eleanor Luxton Historical Foundation was established in May 1995 to implement the bequest of Eleanor G. Luxton, the daughter and granddaughter of Banff and Bow Valley pioneers. The objective of the Foundation is to foster public awareness of the history of Banff and its environs during the period that the Luxton and McDougall families were influential in the community with emphasis on the careers of Norman K. Luxton (1876-1962: Banff newspaperman, entrepreneur and friend of the Stoney people), Georgina McDougall Luxton (1872-1965: artist, gardener and granddaughter of pioneer Methodist missionaries), and Eleanor G. Luxton (1908-1995: teacher, engineer, historian and collector) in that setting.

The Eleanor Luxton Historical Foundation is offering graduate or postdoctoral fellowships for responsible historical research and publication in western Canadian history and in the roles of the Luxton and McDougall families in Banff, the Bow Valley, and western Canada in the 19th and 20th centuries. Among the prominent and relatively unstudied stories of this history are:

  • the history of expedition adventures, including Luxton and Voss's epic 1901 voyage from Victoria to Fiji in a coastal dugout canoe
  • the origins of newspaper journalism in Western Canada, including W.F. Luxton's leadership in the early days of the Winnipeg Free Press and N.K. Luxton's editorship of the Banff Crag and Canyon
  • Eleanor Luxton's varied career as teacher, design engineer of steam locomotives, museum researcher, scholar, historian, and author
  • the Luxton and McDougall families' relations with native communities in western Canada in Morley, the west coast, & Banff Indian Days
  • the origins of nature conservation in western Canada including N.K. Luxton's recovery of the Pablo buffalo herd
  • topics in the history of western Canada, including the Cordillera

Of course, these examples are illustrative and other topics may also be considered.

The Foundation aims to support the original research of one or more graduate students. Many of the primary documents for research in the above-listed areas are located in the newly opened Archives of the Eleanor Luxton Historical Foundation at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff. Others are in the Glenbow Museum Archives in Calgary and elsewhere.

Number and Amount of Awards Granted

The Eleanor Luxton Historical Foundation Fellowships will be adjudicated and administered by the Department of History, Classics, and Religion at the University of Alberta. The fellowships will be awarded to full-time students registered in one of the university's graduate programs. The maximum amounts to be awarded are: MA - $5,000, PhD - $10,000, Postdoctoral - $10,000. The number of fellowships granted annually will depend on the quality of applications received and is subject to funding availability.

Eligibility

Awarded annually to graduate students and/or post-doctoral fellows who are continuing studies at the University of Alberta for responsible historical research and publication in western Canadian history and in the roles of the Luxton and McDougall families in Banff, the Bow Valley, and western Canada in the 19th and 20th centuries. Students from outside the Department of History and Classics and the Faculty of Arts are eligible to apply.

Applicants registered in master's programs normally are eligible to hold this award once during the first two years of their program. Applicants registered in doctoral programs normally are eligible to hold this award once up to and including the fifth year of their program.

Application Procedures

There is one competition annually for these awards. The application form and supporting documentation must be sent directly to the Department of History, Classics, and Religion at the University of Alberta.

Award applications are compiled, reviewed, and adjudicated by the Department of History, Classics, and Religion at the University of Alberta. Applicants are assessed based on their academic record, letters of reference, statement of program, and a sample of their academic writing or publication.

Instructions

  • Complete Appendix A - Application Form
  • Read the declaration and sign the form
  • Attach the supporting documentation:
    • two official copies of academic transcripts
    • statement of research program
    • sample of academic writing or publication
    • curriculum vitae
  • Have your 2 referees send their signed letters of reference and reference forms (Appendix B) directly to the Graduate Advisor in the Department of History, Classics, and Religion
  • Return the application form/supporting documentation to the Department of History, Classics, and Religion.

Supporting Documentation

Transcripts - two copies of all official university transcripts (including both undergraduate and graduate transcripts)

Statement of Program - The statement of program is essentially a research proposal. It should express the interest and intended research focus of the applicant. The applicant will indicate an interest in using the archives of the Eleanor Luxton Historical Foundation in Banff, AB. The most effective proposals are clear, concise, and focused. Proposals should be clear not only to people within the field, but also to a general audience.

Statement of program should:

  • be one single-spaced page in length (approx 400 words)
  • be typed using a font size of 10 or larger
  • have your name in the header on the top right hand corner of each page

Sample of Significant Writing or Publication - should demonstrate your writing and research abilities. It may be a research paper or recent publication. If your sample of writing is an unpublished work, please ensure that it is double-spaced, typed using a font size of 10 or larger, has margins that measure a minimum of 1" on all sides, and is no more than 10 pages in length.

Curriculum Vitae - two copies of an up-to-date curriculum vitae, indicating clearly your educational career and education-related work experience.

Letters of Reference - supporting letters of reference (Appendix B) are to be sent directly to the Secretary of Graduate Studies in the Department of History and Classics at the University of Alberta. If you are currently enrolled as a University of Alberta graduate student, you must ensure that one of these letters comes from your graduate program supervisor.

It is your responsibility to ensure that the application is complete.

Eleanor Luxton Historical Foundation Graduate Fellowship Application
Graduate Advisor
Department of History, Classics, and Religion
2-28 Tory Building
University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2H4 Canada
Email: humgrad2@ualberta.ca
Phone: (780) 492-3258