Mark Twain Circle Awards:

The Mark Twain Circle Travel Grant is designed to provide travel support for graduate students, independent scholars, and early career faculty who are presenting research focused on Mark Twain Studies at conferences, symposia, or other scholarly venues.  Priority will be given to applicants who are attending major professional meetings with which the Circle is associated, including MLA, ALA, C19, ASA, and CMTS events.  Awards will not exceed $300.  Applicants can apply by writing directly to the MTC President with a list of expenses and an explanation of the benefit to Mark Twain Studies of the proposed support.  Awards will be distributed twice annually, on November 1 and on May 1.  Applications must be approved by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.

 

The Louis J. Budd Award for Distinguished Scholarship is awarded in recognition of significant scholarship in the field of Mark Twain Studies. 

 

The Thomas A. Tenney Award for Service is awarded in recognition of service to the field of Mark Twain Studies and on behalf of the mission of the Mark Twain Circle of America.

 

The Olivia Langdon Clemens Award for Scholarly Creativity and Innovation is awarded

in recognition of new, innovative directions in Mark Twain scholarship.

 

These awards are presented once every four years at the State of Mark Twain Studies quadrennial conference in Elmira, New York, or another venue considered appropriate by a majority of the Executive Committee.  Once every four years, in the Fall issue of the MT Circular, a notice shall appear naming each of the awards and inviting nominations.   Nominations will be sent to the MTC President no later than March 15th of the year in which the awards are to be conferred.  The President will propose to the Executive Committee an independent Awards Committee consisting of three MTC members.  The Awards Committee will review nominations and select recipients for the three awards.

 

Past honorees of the Mark Twain Circle of America awards:

 

1993: Thomas A. Tenney, Mark Twain Circle Lifetime Achievement Award

1997:  Taylor Roberts, Mark Twain Circle Certificate of Merit

            R. Kent Rasmussen, Mark Twain Circle Certificate of Merit

            Kevin Bochynski, Mark Twain Circle Certificate of Merit

2005: Thomas A. Tenney, Mark Twain Circle Certificate of Merit

            Victor Doyno, Mark Twain Circle Certificate of Merit

            William Loos, Mark Twain Circle Certificate of Merit

2009: Shelley Fisher Fishkin, The Mark Twain Circle Certificate of Merit

            John Bird, The Thomas A. Tenney Service Award

2013: Bruce Michelson, The Louis J. Budd Mark Twain Circle Certificate of Merit

            Jim Leonard, The Thomas A. Tenney Service Award

2017:  Laura Skandera Trombley, The Louis J. Budd Award

            Kent Rasmussen, The Thomas A. Tenney Service Award

            Linda Morris, The Olivia Langdon Clemens Award

2022: Kerry Driscoll, The Louis J. Budd Award

            Chad Rohman, The Thomas A. Tenney Service Award

            Shelley Fisher Fishkin, The Olivia Langdon Clemens Award