The Dawson Gaillard Writing Awards
The Dawson Gaillard Writing Awards, sponsored by Loyola's English department since 1982, is a university-wide competition dedicated to the memory of Dawson Gaillard, a highly respected former member of the English faculty. These awards, initially presented in expository and in creative writing are now presented in long and short exposition, and in poetry, fiction and t.v./film script writing. The competition, conducted during the spring semester, is open to all university students (not just English majors). Submissions are distributed to two groups of English department faculty members who volunteer for evaluation (one group for creative writing and one group for expository prose). Each committee reads and evaluates the work of each student writer before reaching a decision about the "winning" submissions. Then the Awards Director forwards names of the five award winners to the Dean of the College of Humanities and Natural Sciences, who has a special certificate made for each. These award certificates are then presented during a public Convocation ceremony in late April/early May, when the five winners receive a tribute for their work. The Dawson Gaillard Awards are a collegial competition among student peers across the lines of gender, ethnicity, and intellectual discipline; they foster both creative literacy and the self-respect that comes from work well done.
Contact: Dr. Ron Foust at (504) 865-2263.