The Colonel Charles Young Fellowship: General Information
This fellowship commemorates the service of Col. Charles Young to the nation and the Army. Born to enslaved parents in 1864, he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1889, becoming just the third African American to do so. During his career he served in the cavalry, led the military science program (a forerunner of ROTC) at Wilberforce College, was superintendent of a national park, served as military attache to Haiti and later Liberia, and commanded a cavalry squadron in the Philippines and another during the 1916 Punitive Expedition in Mexico. He was a torchbearer and trailblazer, becoming the first African American officer to achieve the ranks of major, lieutenant colonel, and colonel in the Regular Army. Through his selfless service Colonel Young demonstrated that African Americans could lead at any level and serve fully as soldiers in the U.S. Army. By doing so he helped open doors for African Americans in the Armed Forces and made the Army more representative of the nation it serves.? In 2022, the Army bestowed on him an honorary promotion to the rank of brigadier general.
The U.S. Army Center of Military History (CMH) sponsors this fellowship with the objective of increasing diversity in its historian workforce and in the history it produces. Fellows will acquire additional knowledge in the fields of U.S. Army history and general military history, gain firsthand experience in the federal government history community, and obtain a security clearance. Fellows thus will be better prepared for possible future opportunities with the federal government as a civil service employee or contractor. Fellows with a PhD will receive $80,000 in return for working at the Center of Military History for one year. Fellows who have not yet completed their PhD degree and are in all-but-dissertation (ABD) status will receive $60,000. The fellowship does not include any paid benefits, other than 11 paid national holidays and 26 days of paid leave. By mutual agreement, the fellowship may be extended for a second year. Fellows will work a standard 40-hour week but are eligible for flexible work schedules that may permit occasional weekdays off in addition to holidays and paid leave. Fellows are eligible for partial telework, but should anticipate spending part of each week at CMH offices in Washington, D.C.
Fellows will be part of the Historical Programs Directorate within CMH. The directorate researches, writes, and publishes historical books and monographs; provides historical support to the Headquarters, Department of the Army; manages the Army's lineage and honors program; and oversees the field history program throughout the Army. Fellows will perform one or more of the following duties in furtherance of those CMH missions: conduct archival research in support of a major official history book project, research and write short monographs, assist with preparation for and conduct of oral histories, research and write information papers intended for senior leaders, assist in guiding battlefield staff rides, and answer historical inquiries. Fellow duties also include researching and writing historical content for Army History magazine and the CMH website and providing support to commemorative programs. CMH will assign specific duties based on the experience and interests of the fellow and the needs of the directorate. The Fellows also will participate in a mentorship program with CMH senior historians and in a professional development program that introduces them to most of the larger government history organizations in the Washington, D.C. area.
The fellowship is open to individuals who are citizens of the United States and who have graduated within the past two years with a doctoral degree in history from an accredited university or who have completed their general exams and are in the dissertation phase of a doctoral degree program in history at an accredited university. Preference is given to those who have focused their education in the field of military history, but historians from any field are encouraged to apply. Fellows must be eligible to obtain a secret security clearance, so they should have no issues such as a history of criminal convictions or illegal substance use that will unreasonably delay processing for a clearance. A security clearance will provide many opportunities for employment throughout the federal government and industry at the completion of the fellowship.
Applications must be submitted by 28 February 2024. Applicants possessing a PhD should have graduated from that degree program no earlier than 1 May 2022. The exact start date of the fellowship is negotiable but should begin around 1 August 2024. A complete application package includes the following items:
- Letter from the applicant explaining why they are seeking the fellowship (no more than two pages in single-space, 12-point, Times New Roman font). Applicants are invited, but not required, to explain how their background contributes to the diversity of the military history profession or to their approach to study in the field of military history.
- A curriculum vitae or resume (in 12-point Times New Roman font) listing education completed or in progress, a brief description of the completed or in-progress dissertation, recent employment history, publications, presentations at academic conferences, and awards or recognitions (highlighting those relevant to the field of history).
- A transcript covering academic work at the masters (if applicable) and doctoral level.
- A letter of recommendation from at least one professor at the student's graduate school, and preferably two.
- A writing sample of 15-25 pages in the form of a published article or a paper submitted for course credit. This can be submitted in Word or PDF format.
Applications must be submitted digitally to usarmy.mcnair.cmh.mbx.opportunities@army.mil. Applicants can submit any questions they may have to the same address.