In February, the USGA announced the launch of the Wilson Endowed Research Fund, an initiative that would provide financial support for individuals wishing to conduct original research utilizing the collections of the USGA Golf Museum and Library in Liberty Corner, N.J. The USGA Golf Museum and Library has selected Eric Steagall, a Ph.D. candidate at Georgia Tech University, as the 2024 recipient of this grant.
Seagall’s research project is, “The Making and Meaning of Bobby Jones in the 1920s.”
Through the generosity of Don M. Wilson, III, a member of the USGA Golf Museum and Library Committee since 2001, and a Founding Partner of the USGA Foundation in 2018, this fund will grant $5,000 for qualified applicants in 2024 and $10,000 in 2025 and thereafter.
The singular purpose of the Wilson Endowed Research Fund is to financially assist with original research using the collections housed in the USGA Golf Museum and Library. If researchers receive funding, they are required to acknowledge the Wilson Endowed Research Fund in any publications or presentations of research resulting from this program. Researchers also will provide the USGA Golf Museum and Library a copy of any publication or presentation that results from the research supported by the fund.
Any individuals engaged in any stage of their academic or professional careers is eligible. Applicants must submit a detailed overview, in a maximum of 500 words of the intended research, while also providing an initial list of materials to review using the USGA Golf Museum and Library catalog and research resources.
Applicants must submit a CV and two letters of reference. Applicants may request a stipend of up to $5,000 and provide details as to how funds will be spent, and use of the stipend proceeds must be documented upon completion of the work.
Members of the USGA Golf Museum and Library staff will be involved in the selection process. Applications will be assessed upon three criteria:
- Feasibility of proposed research
- Originality of proposed research
- Relevancy of USGA Golf Museum and Library collections to proposed research.
The Library is available to researchers between June 1 and Nov. 15. The Library’s hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET (or by special arrangement).
The deadline for a 2025 grant is Nov. 15, 2024, with recipients to be announced on Dec. 15, 2024. The Library will be available for researchers from Jan. 15 to Nov. 15, with the same hours of operation.
For further assistance, contact Hilary Cronheim, Senior Director, USGA Golf Museum and Library at hcronheim@usga.org; Victoria Nenno, Senior Historian, USGA Museum and Library, at vnenno@usga.org; or Stacy Schiff, Librarian, USGA Golf Museum and Library, at sschiff@usga.org.