Courses & Learning
The Eva Koch Scholarship
The Eva Koch Scholarship is granted annually and was made possible by the generosity of Hugh Lawson, Eva’s second husband, whom she married at the age of 88.
Eva was born on 4 August 1900. Both she and her first husband, Richard, were Berliners and, although they had Jewish ancestry, were brought up as Protestants. They suffered persecution under Hitler and Richard was held in a concentration camp for nine months. He had been a successful solicitor but all their possessions were confiscated in 1939. After the war they received compensation from the German State and, as they lived simply, much of what Eva left Hugh on her death on 26 January 1991 enabled him to endow the Scholarship in her name.
Eva came to Woodbrooke many times, especially at Easter and Christmas. A fuller account of her life generously lived, can be found in the Proceedings of London Yearly Meeting 1991 (pp 152-3) where we can note that she and Hugh often asked themselves why they had been so lucky as to find, late in life, a love that was both unexpected and unsought.
Hugh was was born on 13 February 1912 and was MP for Skipton 1944-5. He worked as Deputy City Engineer for Nottingham for 25 years, and then as the City’s Director of Leisure Services in the three years before his retirement. He married Dorothy Mallinson in 1937, they had two sons, and joined Friends later in life. Dorothy died in 1982 and after Eva’s death 1991, Hugh planted a wood in their memory, ‘The Two Wives Plantation’ at Newstead Abbey. He died on 23 March 1997.
Details of the Scholarship
The aim of the Scholarship is to give an opportunity for an extended period of reflection, research and writing. The Scholarship is not designed to be narrowly academic nor is it restricted to those with postgraduate qualifications. Rather, preference is given to small-scale and original projects which contribute to the life and self-understanding of Quakerism, and could be of interest and use to local Quaker meetings. In addition, projects need to be viable within the period of the Scholarship and make use of Woodbrooke and its resources. Scholarships since 1998 have included: ·
- Quakers and Gandhi
- Friedensthal 18th Century Quaker Community
- Quakerism and Children’s Rights
- The Theology of Quaker Protest
- Quakers and their use of the Bible
- Non-Theistic Quakerism
- The Use of Written Responses to the Queries
- The Bryn Mawr Experiment
- Quaker Views on Irish Home Rule
- Quaker Relief in Vienna
We offer one Scholarship per year, which allows an individual 14 weeks free room and board at Woodbrooke, access to courses offered while staying at Woodbrooke, plus £500 to help with expenses such as photocopying, travel, etc. A laptop is available for use as required but no clerical assistance is available.
It is expected that Scholarship recipients will take part in the Woodbrooke community during their residence, and that the majority of their work will take place at Woodbrooke. Our preference is for the Scholarship to be taken in one or a maximum of two blocks within the calendar year of the Scholarship. Once resident, recipients will liaise with the Quaker Studies Tutor, and during their stay will do a presentation of their work.
Additionally, the Scholarship requires the preparation of an eight to ten thousand word article on the research project by the end of the Scholarship period which might be published in the Woodbrooke Journal. The fruits of the research should be offered to the library. All published work arising out of the Scholarship period needs to acknowledge the Eva Koch Scholarship.
2011 Scholarship
The deadline for the 2011 scholarship is Monday 13 September 2010. Please contact Judith Jenner by emailing judith.jenner@woodbrooke.org.uk or call on +44 (0)121 472 5171 for further information.
