The Eugene P. Chase Government Prize is awarded for the best written exposition in the field of political science submitted to the Department of Government and Law during the academic year.
Selection is made by the Department. This prize was established in 1963 by friends and former students of Dr. Eugene Parker Chase, former Fred Morgan Kirby Professor of Civil Rights in the Department of Government and Law at Lafayette College.
Papers eligible for the spring Chase Prize award shall be nominated from term papers done by students in regular classroom courses or independent study courses during the previous spring and fall semesters. Honors theses shall not be considered for the Chase Prize. Department faculty members are encouraged to announce the Chase Prize in their course syllabi. Every Government and Law faculty member is encouraged each year to nominate 1-2 papers for the Chase Prize by the first Monday in February or when otherwise requested by the department head. Nominations of papers shall be directed to the department head who shall:
(a) appoint the members of the Chase Prize Subcommittee
(b) submit the papers to the Chase Prize Subcommittee at least three weeks prior to the faculty meeting at which the final Chase Prize decision is to be made by the members of the department.
*Any student in a Government and Law class may ask any Government and Law faculty member to nominate his/her paper for the Chase Prize. Any Government and Law faculty member requested by a student to nominate a paper for the Chase Prize may nominate or not nominate the paper. If a faculty member declines to nominate a paper, he/she shall inform the student of this decision within a time period that will, if possible, allow the student to ask another faculty member to nominate the paper within the prize deadline. Students shall not revise a term paper prior to nomination for the Chase Prize. Nominated papers shall contain the instructor’s comments and grade.
*The papers reviewed by the Chase Prize Subcommittee shall be anonymous. That is, the department head shall remove the names of student authors from all nominated papers prior to submitting the papers to the Chase Prize Subcommittee. If the subcommittee concludes that no nominated paper in a given year deserves the prize, the subcommittee will report no recommendation to the department. The winner of the Chase Prize shall be invited to present his/her paper to a gathering of students and faculty. The winner shall have the discretion to invite up to 5 members of his/her family to attend the presentation. Questions and answers shall follow the presentation.
2024: Emma Chen
2023: Charles Mirsky
2022: Kelly Mwaamba
2021: Riddhimma Gooptu
2020: Julia Dash
2019: Princess Adeyinka
2018: Matthew Deorocki
2017: Sian Barry
2016: Adam Broeckaert
2015: Kristiana Price
2014: Elizabeth Hannigan
2013: Kelly Senters
2012: Melissa Drennan
2011: Caitlin Flood
2010: Michael Cerankowski
2009: Robert Higbee
2008: Richard Krebs
2007: Amy Polizzano
2006: Teresa J. Cridge
2004: Alexander J. Sarris
2003: Amanda L. Roth