The Verna Ross Orndorff Scholarship ($1000) was established in 1989 in honor of River Forest resident Verna Ross Orndorff, a lifelong student of Illinois history, to encourage interest in Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War in Illinois high schools.
To apply for the scholarship, essays meeting the following criteria should be submitted (postmarked or emailed) by January 15, 2023:
- The focus of the essay should be on Abraham Lincoln or a significant event in the Civil War period in Illinois;
- Essays should be 1,500 words with a title page, outline, an annotated bibliography and suggestions for further reading.
The Illinois high school student whose research paper is selected will receive a $1,000 scholarship and a certificate of achievement and will be honored at the Annual Awards Banquet in 2023. The paper will be published in a forthcoming issue of Illinois Heritage magazine, the popular history magazine of the Illinois State Historical Society.
For more information:
Email clerical@historyillinois.org or call 217-525-2781.
Submission deadline for entries must be postmarked or emailed by January 15, 2023.
Entries may be mailed to: ISHS Scholarships, Illinois State Historical Society, PO Box 1800, Springfield, IL, 62705-1800.
Forms/Letters
Please include the following information
- Student Name
- Grade
- School
- Student Address
- Student Phone
- Student Email Address
- Sponsor Teacher Name
- Sponsor Teacher Phone
- Sponsor Teacher Email Address
- Sponsor Teacher Address