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Sesquicentennial Essays

In honor of the University's Sesquicentennial in 2000, the library sponsored a competition for the best essay on any aspect of the University's history. Political activism at the University of Rochester during the 1960s provided inspiration to the winners, Craig Linder '00 (First Prize) and Brian Kowalski '02 (Second Prize).

The winners received $1,000 and $500, respectively. The students read their papers during Charter Weekend in the Welles-Brown Room of Rush Rhees Library on the River Campus.

The Department of Rare Books, Special Collections and Preservation is proud to present the winning papers on its website. Please note: All rights regarding the papers remain with the authors.


First Place Winner
Crisis of Confidence: Unrest among the University of Rochester's Faculty, 1966-1969
Craig Linder

Second Place Winner
Nuclear Protest and the Birth of the Student Awakening at the University of Rochester: 1957-1963
Brian Kowalski