In September 2010, Mary McClanahan, an alumna of the program (BA ’67, MA ’69), made a very generous planned gift to endow an annual series of Classics department lectures, typically three public lectures given by departmental faculty and one by the recipient of the Mary McClanahan graduate essay prize ($1500), awarded annually to the best essay submitted to the department by a current student in the department.

Previous Winners:

2023 - Rachel Dzugan
2022 - Jacob Horton
2021 - Hannah Slough
2020 - Florencia Foxley
2019 - Jacob Sawyer
2018 - Samuel Hahn
2017 - Samuel Kindick
2016 - Elizabeth Deacon
2015 - Kevin Jefferson
2014 - Sidney Christman
2013 - Ian Oliver
2012 - Reina Callier
2011 - Mitch Pentzer


picture of greek temple

McClanahan Graduate Essay Prize Announcement 2018

Aug. 31, 2018

Announcement of the 2018 Mary E. V. McClanahan Graduate Essay Prize Summary: Classics Graduate students are invited to submit essays to be judged by a committee of three faculty members. The writer of the essay judged to be the best will receive $1,500 and will present his or her essay...

Picture of city of Sikyon, a Roman statue, and Roman coins

McClanahan Lecture: The Lost City of Sikyon

Feb. 27, 2018

McClanahan Lecture Series The Lost City of Sikyon presented by Sarah James Tuesday, February 27, 2018 7:00 PM in HUMN 250 Sikyon is probably the most important ancient Greek city that you’ve never heard of. Known for centuries from only brief mentions in Classical literature, intensive archaeological work only began...

Statue of "Rape of the Sabine Women" by Giambologna, 1583

McClanahan Essay Lecture: Elegizing Roman Theater

Dec. 4, 2017

Elegizing the Roman Theater: Ars Amatoria 1.89-134 Winner of the 2017 Mary E.V McClanahan Essay Graduate Prize, Samuel L. Kindick, will present his paper, " Elegizing the Roman Theater: Ars Amatoria 1.89-134", on Monday, December 4 at 5:00 PM in HUMN 250. Although Ovid’s Ars Armatoria (2 BCE) has often...

Picture of Marlon Brando being Julius Caesar

McClanahan Lecture: Classical Rhetoric

Nov. 29, 2017

Wednesday, November 29 7:00 PM in HUMN 150 presented by Tyler Lansford Classical Rhetoric in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar Among Shakespeare’s ‘Roman’ plays, Julius Caesar is arguably the most Roman in both substance and form: not only is the title character Rome’s premier imperialist – the very language breathes a uniquely...

picture of Greek painted pottery

McClanahan Lecture: Travelers and Immigrants

Oct. 11, 2017

Travelers and Immigrants in Greek Mythology presented by Professor Lauri Reitzammer Wednesday, October 11th 7:00 PM in HUMN 250 Greek Mythology is filled with travelers, wanderers, immigrants, exiles, and refugees. This lecture discusses some famous travelers and immigrants from Greek mythology with an emphasis on the representation of foreigners and...

poster for mcclanahan lecture by dimitri nakassis on feb 2, 2017

McClanahan Lecture: Forgotten Cities

Feb. 22, 2017

Forgotten cities hidden in plain sight: archaeology and ancient landscapes in Greece presented by Professor Dimitri Nakassis Archaeology is usually associated with excavation, a process that brings the past into the present by peeling away layers, revealing ancient surfaces and structures along with their associated artifacts. In places like Rome...

cover image from Apuleius Golden Ass

Winner of McClanahan Essay Prize - Elizabeth Deacon

Nov. 30, 2016

Congratulations to Elizabeth Deacon , winner of this year’s Mary E. V. McClanahan Graduate Essay Prize. Elizabeth is fourth-year PhD student working on Apuleius. She receives the $1500 prize for her essay “Diotima and Isis: The Platonic Model behind the Metamorphoses ’ Eleventh Book”. She will present her essay as...

column of Trajan at night

McClanahan Lecture Series - NOV 16

Nov. 16, 2016

McClanahan Lecture Series Revisiting the Column of Trajan presented by Associate Professor Diane Conlin Wednesday, November 16, 2016 at 7PM in HUMN 150

2016 McClanahan Graduate Essay Prize Annoncement

Sept. 23, 2016

Announcement of the 2016 Mary E. V. McClanahan Graduate Essay Prize Summary: Classics Graduate students are invited to submit essays to be judged by a committee of three faculty members. The writer of the essay judged to be the best will receive $1,500 and will present his or her essay...

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