Pete Simpson

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West and the University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center have created a new fellowship focused on the American West, established in honor of Cody’s Pete Simpson.

Simpson is a UW professor emeritus, a Wyoming native, former state legislator and an active supporter of the arts and humanities.

Fellowships will fund original research advancing knowledge, understanding and passion about the history and myths of the West. Academic scholars at any level — from graduate students to tenured faculty — may apply.

American Heritage Center Director Paul Flesher and Center of the West historian Jeremy Johnston are pleased the two institutions collaborated on the joint fellowship that recognizes a leading historian such as Simpson.

“Pete [Simpson]’s ongoing community service reflects why he is the perfect role model for recipients of this award,” Flesher and Johnston say. “Pete’s intellectual insight through his writings and lectures will inspire these researchers as they seek a deeper understanding of how past cultures and historical events shaped and continue to influence the ongoing development of the modern American West.”

They say the fellowship is designed to “encourage scholars to draw upon the AHC’s and BBCW’s extensive collections in Western history.”

An $8,000 stipend will be awarded each year to one fellow for a one-month — 20 business days — residence at the BBCW and the AHC during a 15-month period after notification. The recipient will prepare a precis outlining sources consulted in each institution; how those sources shaped the research findings; and how the fellow will incorporate the information into the final product.

All application materials should be submitted electronically by Tuesday, March 31, to BBCW Human Resources Director Terry Harley at terryh@centerofthewest.org. Candidates will be selected in April and notified by email. For more information, visit www.uwyo.edu/ahc/grants/index.html.