Grace Magnaghi Research Grant
The Grace H. Magnaghi Upper Peninsula Research Grant was established by Grace Magnaghi in 1999, for the support of research on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Northern Michigan University invites applications for the Grace H. Magnaghi Upper Peninsula Research Grant for research at the Central Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan University Archives/Lydia M. Olson Library and other supporting resources in the Upper Peninsula. The grant monies are given in order to further scholarly research about the history and culture of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and to aid the researcher with some of the expenses incurred in this endeavor.
The Central Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan University Archives is a repository for manuscript collections that document the history of the central Upper Peninsula of Michigan and archival records that document the history of Northern Michigan University. The Archives also has an online bibliography of the Upper Peninsula entitled “Portals to the Past” (Magnaghi). Possible topical research areas include the history of education, the labor movement, politics and government, environmental preservation, religion, linguistics, immigration, literature and culture.
Applications will be drawn from proposed projects that extensively use the archives and library collections. Proposed projects may be scholarly in scope and may include thesis, dissertations, research papers and publications.
DEADLINE: 10/27/2023; MAX AWARD: Amount varies based on NMU foundation spending policy. A recipient may be funded for only two consecutive years on the same research.
Any individual with a project addressing archival usage will be eligible for this award.
Applications must be completed following the Guidelines under "Application Instructions."
Reporting instructions
Upon completion of the research, successful applicants will:
(1) Write a short one-page report of their activity in the archives/library and include receipts for expenses.
(2) Conduct a public presentation within the Upper Peninsula, such as at the Sonderegger Symposium on regional history at NMU, a presentation for the public at the Archives, or within a classroom on the topic of study, etc.
(3) Provide a hard copy (book, periodical, paper or dissertation, etc.) upon publication or completion of research to the NMU Archives which will further additional studies on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan--within a year of receiving the grant unless the recipient has applied for another year.
Suggested places to present your research locally:
The Soderegger Symposium, NMU Archive's Lecture Series, The Maritime Museum, The Iron Industry Museum, The Marquette Regional Museum, NMU's Science on Tap, The Historical Society of Michigan, The U.P. History Conference, Peter White Public Library, Michigan Historical Society Publications, The Chronicle of Michigan History.
Please contact the organizations you are interested in working with for more information.
For graduate student winners, additional options are the Celebration of Student Scholarship, the Three Minute Thesis competition.
About Grace Magnaghi
Grace H. Magnaghi was born on February 8, 1911 in her beloved San Francisco, to Martin and Catherine (Claverie) Mendiara, natives of France. After graduating from Galileo High School and attending commercial-business school, she was employed as a bookkeeper for numerous San Francisco firms for over a decade. She married Mario V. Magnaghi on August 2, 1931. They had two sons, Russell and Roger Magnaghi.
Throughout her life, Grace Magnaghi enjoyed history and traveling to historic sites which meant she kept journals of each of her trips. While visiting the Gettysburg battlefield, she recited the Gettysburg Address—by heart. Always interested in the news whether on TV or the San Francisco Chronicle, she kept abreast of the late breaking news stories, especially politics and history.
In high school, Grace Magnaghi first learned about iron ore shipments at the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula. During the summer months, she visited-- Mackinac Island, Copper Harbor and the Soo. While visiting the canal she finally saw what she had learned so many years before.
Grace Magnaghi moved to Marquette in1999 because of declining health to be nearer her family where she developed a new life in the Upper Peninsula. She played the piano/keyboard, had a wonderful sense of humor, went to the gym, went to the Landmark for a “burger and beer” or celebrated Bastille Day (France Independence) with “crepes and Champagne” and an “Ala Santé”. Although she spoke English, French was her first language, which she constantly promoted to anyone who wished to learn it. After 10 years in Marquette and celebrating 100 years, she died on March 9, 2011.
Since 1999, she had been interested in seeing that the heritage of the region was promoted by researchers and scholars and thus created this endowment--Grace H. Magnaghi Upper Peninsula Research Grant Endowment which supports scholarly research about the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (education, the labor movement, politics and government, environmental preservation, religion, linguistics, immigration, literature, and culture).