McConnell Scholar wins Tachau Award for Excellence in History
Sam Whittaker (’15) has been awarded the Mary Katherine Bonsteel Tachau Award for Excellence in History from the University of Louisville's History Department. The award was established in 1991 and is given to the graduating senior history major with the highest academic achievement.
Tachau taught in UofL's history department for 40 years, serving as department chair. She was a specialist in constitutional history, with a passion for social justice related to feminist causes like equal pay and promotion opportunities for women.
“I am extremely honored to have been selected as the Tachau Award winner for the Class of 2015. My time with the history department at the University of Louisville has been full of wonderful learning experiences, and it has set me on a path toward a successful career in the field,” Whittaker said.
Whittaker is a senior McConnell Scholar studying history, economics and political science. He recently defended his senior honors thesis, entitled, “The Electoral Victory of John Bell in Kentucky, 1860."
Whittaker is the president of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, as well as an active participant in the University of Louisville’s chapter of Relay for Life. He is a 2011 graduate of St. Mary High School in Paducah, Ky.
By Chloe Zoeller, 2016 McConnell Scholar