Submissions for the 2025 W. Curtis Worthington, Jr. Essay Contest Accepted Now through June 15, 2025

The Waring Historical Library is continuing to accept submissions for the 2024 W. Curtis Worthington, Jr. Essay Contest. Named for former Waring Historical Library director, Dr. W. Curtis Worthington Jr., the essay contest was established to encourage students to contribute to scholarship about the history of health sciences and to reward those whose work is exemplary. The 2025 contest submission deadline is Sunday, June 15, 2025.

The Waring Library Society will grant one award for an undergraduate essay ($1,000) and one award for a graduate essay ($2,000). There are different length requirements for each category, as described below.

The winner will be asked to submit a summary of the paper for a blog post and to provide a virtual presentation of their research at a Student History Club noon lecture series event during the 2025-2026 academic year.

The submission guidelines are as follows:

• The research should focus on the United States-Atlantic World History of Health Sciences in the modern era—from the late 1600s to the present. There is a preference for topics that focus on or include events related to Charleston, S.C., but it is not necessary.
• Entries cannot have been published previously, nor submitted more than once.
• Only one entry per person per year.
• The entry must be the original work and ideas of the author.
• Entries must be 4,000-6,000 word for the undergraduate award, and 6,000-8,000 words for the graduate award (excluding notes and bibliography). Pages must be double spaced, type-written, including footnotes or endnotes, with one-inch margins.

Author Eligibility:

The author must be a degree-seeking candidate, resident, or intern, at an accredited, higher-education institution in the country.

Submission

• Manuscripts must be submitted as a PDF by email to waringhl@musc.edu.
• Manuscripts must be submitted by the end of the business day, June 15, 2025. Notification of the award will occur by the end of the business day August 1, 2025.

Contact the Waring for more information.