For Immediate Release
November 15, 2023
HANNAH GERSHONE NAMED JOSEPHINE FORMAN SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Simmons University grad student receives $10,000 award
Madison, N.J. – Hannah Gershone, who is pursuing a Master of Library and Information Science degree at Simmons University, has been awarded the Josephine Forman Scholarship, an honor sponsored by the General Commission on Archives and History (GCAH) in cooperation with the Society of American Archivists (SAA).
The award includes a $10,000 scholarship and complimentary registration for the 2023 SAA Annual Meeting, which was held this past summer virtually and in Washington, D.C.
“One of the hallmarks of The United Methodist Church and its antecedents is how the church has intersected with critical worldwide movements, where diverse members of the denomination led the fight for change and justice with conviction and faithfulness,” said Dr. Ashley Boggan D., GCAH general secretary. “The General Commission on Archives and History remains committed to preserving this history and we are excited to recognize Hannah and the work she is doing in this vital area.”
In the SAA announcement, the selection committee praised Gershone’s “potential for scholastic and personal achievement, and (her) commitment to both the archives profession and to addressing diversity concerns within it.”
Gershone received her Master of Science in Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon and plans to use her knowledge and skills in that area to pursue avenues in the ways “archival institutions may advocate for robust documentation and preservation of governmental response to climate change,” she says. This work is particularly important to Gershone because, as she noted in her application essay, “Black, Indigenous, and communities of color are often on the frontlines of climate change, bearing the brunt of environmental oppression.”
Her scholarly work reflects her interests in the intersection of record keeping, archives, and environmental justice as can be seen in her StoryMap “Abstractions: The Messy Entanglements of Carceral Geographies, Wilderness, and Poetry,” and in her terminal Master’s project “Adoptee Literary and Art Archive: Environmental Justice is Adoptee Justice.”
Gershone plans to pursue a career as an outreach archivist or digital curator, specializing in Ethnic Studies and critical environmental justice.
The Josephine Forman Scholarship, made possible through a donation to GCAH to support more ethically and racially diverse candidates entering the archives and history field, is named in honor of Forman, archivist for 18 years of the Southwest Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church and author of "We Finish to Begin: A History of Travis Park United Methodist Church, 1846–1991.".As Conference Archivist, Forman collected records from closed churches along with administrative records for the Conference. For many years she was the church historian at Travis Park UMC in San Antonio, Texas. She was also committed to training and education for archivists and church historians.
About General Commission on Archives & History
The General Commission on Archives & History (GCAH), organized in 1968, is one of the general agencies of The United Methodist Church, with offices located in the Archives & History Center. on the campus of Drew University in Madison, N.J. GCAH offers assistance to local churches and Annual Conferences through publications, workshops, research services, and other programs. The Commission maintains relationships with the five Jurisdictional Commissions on Archives and History, the Central Conferences, the World Methodist Historical Society, the World Methodist Council, and the Charles Wesley Society.
Media contact:
Crystal Caviness
[email protected]
615-306-3401