The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) Alumni Association sponsors the Richard S. Lackey Scholarship. The Gen-Fed Alumni Association’s purpose is to promote, conduct, and foster education, research, study, and analysis related to genealogy and to disseminate information and support other similar undertakings.
Richard S. Lackey (1921-1983) of Mississippi was a leader in the drive to improve the professionalization of the genealogical community. In addition to lecturing and teaching, he was an author/compiler of standards for genealogical writing, and of Mississippi source material. His work exemplified the highest standards of competent research and scholarly citation of sources. At the time of his death, Richard was President of the Board for Certification of Genealogists.
The Lackey scholarship is awarded annually to an experienced researcher active in a paid or volunteer position which directly benefits the genealogical community. This year the scholarship will award $1000, which covers full tuition for the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed), and partly defrays hotel and/or meal costs. Provided the public health situation allows it, the Gen-Fed Alumni Association will also provide dinner at the Gen-Fed Alumni Banquet on Friday night, August 9, 2024, where a check for the amount less tuition will be presented to the recipient.
Gigi Nelson, the 2023 Lackey winner, says:
“It was a true honor to be selected to attend Gen-Fed 2023 as the Lackey Scholarship awardee. Gen-Fed is like Coachella for genealogists. It’s a week to immerse yourself in learning about the records that are stored at the National Archives, and do deep-dives into record sets that are of particular interest. Attending Gen-Fed has definitely helped me further develop my research skills. In addition to the education that the Gen-Fed experience provides, it also allowed me to network with genealogists from around the country. Overall, it was a fantastic experience and I would recommend it to any genealogist serious about honing their craft.”
The application can be downloaded here.
Details:
- All applications and additional attachments must be submitted in PDF format, combined in one file.
- The completed application form and attachments should be emailed to Jonathan Deiss at jdeiss@soldiersource.com with “Lackey Scholarship 2024” in the subject line.
- The PDF file name should include your last name and first initial, such as “DoeJ Lackey Scholarship 2024 Application.”
- A complete application must be received by midnight (EST) January 31, 2024.
The winner will be notified by 1 March 2024. Other applicants will be notified shortly after that date. The scholarship winner will automatically be accepted for the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records to be held at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., from August 4-10, 2024.
A’Lelia Bundles is the author of On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker, a biography of her great-great-grandmother. This New York Times Notable Book is in production as a four-part Netflix series starring Octavia Spencer and scheduled to air in early 2020. She is at work on her fifth book, The Joy Goddess of Harlem: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance, about her great-grandmother whose parties and arts patronage helped define the era. Ms. Bundles is the brand historian for Madam C. J. Walker Beauty Culture, a line of hair care products manufactured by Sundial Brands and sold exclusively at Sephora. A former network television news executive and Emmy-award winning producer at ABC News and NBC News, she is a vice chairman of Columbia University’s Board of Trustees and immediate past chair of the board of the National Archives Foundation. She founded the Madam Walker Family Archives and is on the advisory boards of the March on Washington Film Festival and the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America at Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute.