Margaret Ralston Gest (1900-1965)
Haverford CollegeLibraries
Fellowships
Gest Fellowship
Each year Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections offers two $3,000 fellowships for researchers to use our unique materials. The Gest Fellowship provides support for a minimum of two weeks of research in Quaker & Special Collections.
Projects engaging with any religion, historical religious practices, history, literature, material culture, Quakerism, or other topics supported by collections material will be considered. To get a sense of successful applications, you can view a list of previous recipients and projects. In the spirit of Margaret Gest's vision, projects should be interdisciplinary and cross-cultural. We hope that materials created through these fellowships advance scholarship and engage with our collections in unique and creative ways. Fellowships are open to scholars at any stage in their careers.
Research funded by the 2020 application cycle may be conducted from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. We recognize that there is still great uncertainty about travel and collections accessibility during this period. Quaker & Special Collections offers virtual appointments and extensive reproductions, which will be available to all Fellows.

2020 Gest Fellows
- Ute Possekel
Lecturer on Syriac
Harvard Divinity School
"The Syriac Manuscripts in the Haverford College Library" - Kyle Repella
Ph.D. Candidate in History
University of Pennsylvania
"Human Capital: Strategies of Slaving in the Greater Delaware Valley, 1600-1750" - Olatunde Taiwo
Ph.D. Candidate in History and Diplomatic Studies
Olabisi Onabanjo University, Nigeria
"Quaker Philanthropy in the Rise of Friends in Africa, 1800-2020"
Apply to Become a Gest Fellow
Submit the following materials by the deadline:
- A three to five page statement of research goals, including what progress has been made on your research project to date; a statement of how this project will benefit the scholarly community with which it intersects; an assessment of how Haverford’s materials can further its progress and what particular materials at Haverford you wish to use; and an estimate of when the project is expected to be completed. Haverford’s finding aids are searchable online, as is the library catalog.
- A current vita or resume.
- One letter of recommendation from an individual who is familiar with both the field in which the applicant proposes to work, and with the applicant’s work. Please include reference name and contact information in the application materials.
- Permanent and any temporary addresses and phone numbers.
Please submit our application form to apply. Questions about the Fellowship or application process can be directed to Sarah Horowitz. Letters of recommendation should also be submitted to Sarah Horowitz.
Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Demonstrated understanding of the applicability of Haverford's collections to the project.
- Probability that the project will result in a product that will advance scholarship.
- Evidence of the applicant’s prior familiarity with and effective use of similar collections.
Successful applicants might pursue research in the J. Rendel Harris collection of Middle Eastern manuscripts, examine personal accounts of religious practice through letters and diaries, explore Quaker faith and practice, compare different versions of the Bible from our collection of American Bibles, or study missions and missionaries, among many other topics.
Apply
Deadline: February 8, 2021
Applicants will be notified in April of the results of the application process. Contact Sarah Horowitz with your questions:
shorowitz@haverford.edu | (610) 896-2948
Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation Research Fellowship
With support from the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation, Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections will offer a $5,000 fellowship for researchers to use our materials related to mental health and the history of mental health care. The fellowship supports a minimum of three weeks of research in Quaker & Special Collections.
Projects engaging with the history of mental health, mental health care reform, and the role of Quakerism in mental health care will be considered. We hope that materials created through these fellowships advance scholarship and engage with our collections in unique and creative ways. Fellowships are open to scholars at any stage in their careers.
Research funded by the 2020 application cycle may be conducted from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. We recognize that there is still great uncertainty about travel and collections accessibility during this period. Quaker & Special Collections offers virtual appointments and extensive reproductions, which will be available to all Fellows.

Thomas Scattergood
2020 Scattergood Fellow
Elizabeth Hayes Alvarez
Associate Professor of Instruction
Department of Religion, Temple University
"Challenging the Great Physician: Christian Responses to the Rise of Psychiatry in America"
Apply to Become a Scattergood Fellow
Submit the following materials:
- A three to five page statement of research goals, including what progress has been made on your research project to date; a statement of how this project will benefit the scholarly community with which it intersects; an assessment of how Haverford’s materials can further its progress and what particular materials at Haverford you wish to use; and an estimate of when the project is expected to be completed. Haverford’s finding aids aresearchable online, and researchers may particularly wish to consult the Friends Hospital records or our guide to public health materials.
- A current vita or resume.
- One letter of recommendation from an individual who is familiar with both the field in which the applicant proposes to work, and with the applicant’s work. Please include reference name and contact information in the application materials.
- Permanent and any temporary address and phone number.
Please submit our application form to apply. Questions about the Fellowship or application process can be directed to Mary Crauderueff. Letters of recommendation should also be sent to Mary Caruderueff.
Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Demonstrated understanding of the applicability of Haverford's collections to the project.
- Probability that the project will result in a product that will advance scholarship.
- Evidence of the applicant’s prior familiarity with and effective use of similar collections.
Apply
Deadline: March 1, 2021
Applicants will be notified in April of the results of the application process. Contact Mary Crauderueff with your questions:
mcrauder@haverford.edu.