The Lawrence Henry Gipson Institute

The Gipson Institute was created by a generous gift from Lawrence Henry Gipson (1880-1971), a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and a long-time Lehigh University Professor. As one of the most distinguished scholars in United States history, Gipson devoted his life work to instructing, researching, and passing on his knowledge to future generations. As a result of his dedication to historical inquiry, Professor Gipson left his entire estate to Lehigh University, a gift that became the original endowment for the Gipson Institute.

This unique institute brings together a distinct group of productive and highly respected eighteenth-century scholars from such disciplines as History, English, and Modern Languages. The Lawrence Henry Gipson Institute is governed by an interdisciplinary faculty Council, of which two members serve as co-directors. Its program includes such research activities as an annual dissertation fellowship for a Lehigh PhD candidate and research grants to Lehigh faculty and students working on projects dealing with the eighteenth century. The Institute also funds and promotes symposia and lectures by visiting scholars and a variety of publications.