The Purvis E. Boyette Memorial Award Fund was established as an endowed fund in 1988 through the generosity of friends and family of the late Professor Purvis E. Boyette. The income from this fund is to be used for prizes in a freshman English essay contest.
Purvis E. Boyette was an Associate Professor in the English Department at the time of his sudden death in 1987. Mr. and Mrs. Birdsong, parents of one of Professor Boyette's students, and his mother, Mrs. Lena W. Boyles, provided the seed money for this fund, which was added to by many others. This fund is actually the endowment for an award which had been made annually by the English Department for several years. The department faculty voted to name this prize the Purvis E. Boyette Memorial Award in honor of their highly-respected colleague, after his untimely death.
First Place: Ava DuBois, "The Downfall and Discreditation of 'Girlboss': Feminism Viewed Through the Lens of Elizabeth Holmes' Fraud" (written for Dr. Ebony Perro)
Second Place: Victoria C. Guest, "Incorporating Somatic Practices and Theory on the High School Dance Team" (written for Dr. Mary Glavan)
First Place: Maya Boyer, "Women’s Intuition: How and Why the Stigmatization of Intuitive Thought Puts Women at Risk" (written for Dr. Matthew Sumpter)
Second Place: Maya Lukeman, "Ethical Consumption Is a Myth" (written for Dr. Isa Murdock-Hinrichs)