The John Fraser Ramsey Award honors a distinctive kind of excellence. It is not merely a service, leadership, or academic award, although recipients have demonstrated excellence in these areas through their contributions to the University, their spirit of cooperation, and their academic achievements. Rather, the award recognizes the versatility of gifts and attainments and the breadth of excellence in mind and character that have traditionally been the goals of a liberal education.
The award is named in honor of Dr. John Fraser Ramsey, a history professor at The University of Alabama for 42 years. Dr. Ramsey was not only a professor, but also an example, a counselor, and a friend, earning the respect and admiration of all who knew him within and beyond the University community.
Recipients receive an $8,000 award. In 1994, the Ramsey Board introduced the Great Ideas Tour, a student-planned European travel experience that commemorates Dr. Ramsey’s signature course, Great Ideas of Western Civilization. Recipients are offered an additional $4,000 in support of the tour.
The Ramsey Award is unique among the University of Alabama Premier Awards in that recipients become part of the Ramsey Family, a network dedicated to continuing Dr. Ramsey’s legacy. Members reunite each spring for the annual Ramsey Awards banquet and support the current recipient on their Great Ideas Tour.
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One junior will be selected for the award, which includes a trip to Europe and a cash sum totaling $8,000. This monetary and travel award is given annually to a student enrolled full time at UA who has achieved a 3.3 or higher grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
