Gunn Scholar

Gunn Scholar is an endowed program that offers selected students opportunities to pursue a topic of their choosing in the Paula and George Krimsky Archives and Special Collections as part of a yearlong research project in their senior year. Students may apply to the program at the end of junior year.

During senior year, scholars finalize the scope of their thesis, develop a written proposal and work diligently within the school’s archives, exploring the mission and vision of Frederick W. Gunn through primary-source research and place-based learning. Each and every scholar has unearthed something new, either in our own archives or in others, sometimes answering questions we have not even asked, debunking myths, clarifying events, and contributing to The Frederick Gunn School’s ongoing story.

Previous Gunn Scholars have expanded their research by visiting:

  • The Archives and Collections at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Cooperstown, New York
  • The National Archives, Washington, D.C.
  • The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University

Gunn Scholar Presentations

A generous 50th reunion gift of $27,000 from the Class of 1957 has assured the publication of Gunn Scholar research and each student’s illustrated paper is added to the archives, thereby enriching the school’s history and creating opportunities for further study.

Since 2018, Gunn Scholars have presented their original, place-based and primary-sourced research at the annual Highlander Summit Conference, which is hosted by The Frederick Gunn School. A call for papers is issued in January to students from local schools, museums, and historical institutions, who may submit proposals to present at the conference as well. For more information or to submit a proposal, email gunnscholar@frederickgunn.org.