Writing Prizes

The Marcella and Joel Bonsall Prize for Technical Writing
The Marcella and Joel Bonsall Prize for Technical Writing was established by the late Marcella Bonsall to encourage SURF students to develop excellent technical writing skills. Mentors may nominate their students' papers for consideration. A faculty committee recommends the winning papers. Five prizes can be awarded annually, a first prize of $500; second prize, $300; and three $200 third prizes.

The Alexander P. and Adelaide F. Hixon Prize for Writing
The Hixon Prize for Writing was established in 2000 by Alexander P. and Adelaide F. Hixon. The prize will be awarded annually to an undergraduate student for the best composition in a freshman humanities course. The prize is administered by the writing center, and the winner will be chosen by a committee from the Humanities division, with preference given to the paper best illustrating the relationship between the humanities and science and/or engineering.

Mary A. Earl McKinney Prize in Literature
The Mary A. Earl McKinney Prize in Literature was established in 1946 by Samuel P. McKinney, M.D., of Los Angeles. Its purpose is to promote proficiency in writing. The terms under which it is given are decided each year by the literature faculty. It may be awarded for essays submitted in connection with regular literature classes, or awarded on the basis of a special essay contest. The prize consists of cash awards amounting to $750.

Hallett Smith Prize
The Hallett Smith Prize was established in 1997 to commemorate Professor Smith's long career as one of this century's most distinguished Renaissance scholars. The cash prize is given annually by the literature faculty to the student who writes the finest essay on Shakespeare.