Through the generosity of Dennis E. Frye, $1,000 scholarships will be offered to qualified and deserving students who participate in the Civil War Semester.
Dennis E. Frye graduated summa cum laude from Shepherd as the University’s “Outstanding History Major.” Mr. Frye established this scholarship in the spirit of giving back to the University and the community that has inspired him. As he himself notes: “My experience at Shepherd provided me with the strongest foundation for a professional career in Civil War history . . . Located at the epicenter of the Civil War – and host to three Confederate invasions of the North – there’s no school better situated, geographically, for the study of the Civil War then Shepherd.”
Mr. Frye maintains that it has been his “dream to witness the establishment of the Shepherd Civil War Semester . . . Now students from across the country can share the same experience I had to immerse themselves into the heart of Civil War country.” Continuing, he contends, “I can help them, and encourage them, to participate in this unique experience by offering these scholarships.”
Mr. Frye has had a 42 year career in public history that included two decades as Chief Historian at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and as co-founder and past president of today’s American Battlefield Trust and the Save Historic Antietam Foundation. Dennis has experienced a prolific career as a writer, with ten books to his credit and 102 articles, writing for every major Civil War publication.
His most recent books are: Antietam Shadows: Mystery, Myth & Machination; September Suspense: Lincoln’s Union in Peril; and Harpers Ferry Under Fire: A Border Town during the Civil War. Dennis has appeared numerous times on national television documentaries, including PBS, the History Channel, the Travel Channel, A&E, C-SPAN and Voice of America. He was a principal in three Emmy award-winning shows, with subjects covering John Brown, Antietam and Maryland in the Civil War. Dennis is a tour guide in demand, leading programs for the Smithsonian, National Geographic, the New York Times, and Civil War organizations from around the country. Dennis also is an active preservationist, restoring and residing in the antebellum home used by General Burnside as his post-Antietam headquarters.
Dennis’ successes inspired a former Shepherd president to engage him in the establishment of university’s Civil War studies program – a program that has now thrived for nearly three decades. Throughout its tenure, Dennis has served as an advisor and consultant.
To apply for the scholarship please email Dr. James Broomall at jbroomal@shepherd.edu.