Getting to Know: Anne Morgan and Emma Tierney

Social Media/Web Editor Sydney Van Leeuwen recently spoke with 2018 prize winners Anne Morgan and Emma Tierney about their backgrounds and bodies of work. Here is a summary of their conversations:

Anne Morgan of St. Louis, Missouri and student at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri is this year’s recipient of the William Pencak Prize. She submitted a winning paper entitled “The Philadelphia Riots of 1844: Republican Catholicism and Irish Catholic Apologetics,” the thesis of which challenged the idea that by the 1800s Catholics had rejected republicanism. Her paper was originally composed for a class on religion in America taught by Professor Daniel Mandell. Morgan’s thesis was sparked by an assigned reading she completed by Mark Noll (America’s God). Morgan was intrigued by the riots of 1844 and how republican discourse distinguished Catholics and Protestants. Her bibliography included Jay P. Dolan’s In Search of American Catholicism, which supported the claim her thesis was refuting; many primary sources from Villanova’s online digital library; numerous 19th century pamphlets; and newspaper articles from the Catholic Herald, among other works. It took her approximately two months to complete the paper for her college course and another two months to edit for submission to the Pencak Prize. Morgan plans to pursue a masters degree in library science, with a dream of someday working in the National Archives. When asked if she had any advice for future students submitting their papers for the Pencak Prize, Morgan said, “Be confident! Don’t doubt your potential.”

Emma Tierney of Berwyn, Pennsylvania and student at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts is this year’s recipient of the Marcus History Day Prize. She submitted a winning paper entitled “Blackguarding: How the Conflict of the ‘Jeering Episode’ Created Compromise for Women Physicians,” the thesis of which stated that the attention brought to the aforementioned ‘jeering episode’ actually opened opportunities for women to be doctors. Her work discussed the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, America’s first, and an incident in which female medical students were harassed by male medical students. Tierney found her topic via doctordoctress.org. Her bibliography included several news clippings located in Drexel University’s digital collection, among other works. It took her approximately two months to complete the first draft of the paper for the first National History Day competition, and two weeks to edit for submission to the Marcus History Day Prize. Tierney is a history major on a pre-med track, and when asked if she had any advice for future students submitting their papers for the Marcus History Day Prize, she said, “Find a topic that you’re passionate about.”