Thomas Wins Inaugural Gentry Scholarship

Congratulations to Emma Thomas, a senior History major, who won the inaugural Judith Gentry Memorial Scholarship in History. The Gentry scholarship is awarded on the basis of academic merit to full-time students with either junior or senior standing majoring in History. Per the donor guidelines, "preference is given to a student who has demonstrated an interest in research related to diversity, equity and inclusion."

This scholarship honors the late Dr. Judith Gentry for her many years of service and dedication to the Department of History, Geography, & Philosophy, and UL Lafayette. Gentry, a historian of Civil War, women's, gender, and economic history, had a long and distinguished career at the University. A popular professor, she received the University of Southwestern Louisiana Foundation Outstanding Teacher Award in 1994. Gentry was a tireless advocate for women at the local, state, and national levels through her work in American Association of University Professors. She served in executive positions for several important professional organizations, was a president of the Louisiana Historical Association, and was a founder of the Southern Association for Women Historians.