Meyer and Luckey Named as Department of History and Political Science Award Winners

Meyer receives Jack P. Barlow, Sr. History Book Prize, Luckey wins S.G. Whittle Johnston Memorial Award

HUNTINGTON, Ind. — The Department of History and Political Science at Huntington University is pleased to announce the recipients of two prestigious awards, with Grace Meyer receiving the Jack P. Barlow, Sr. History Book Prize for the 2024 fall semester and Rebecca Luckey winning the 2024 S.G. Whittle Johnston Memorial Award.

Barlow Prizes are given to outstanding students in the department’s upper-level, research- and writing-intensive courses.

Meyer is from Bremen, Indiana, and graduated from Bremen High School. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in political science and English. After graduation, she plans to attend law school and pursue a career in the legal profession.

Meyer was recognized by Dr. Jeffrey Webb, professor of American history, for her performance in the course American Political Institutions.

“Grace is a first-rate critical thinker who matches her considerable intellectual gifts with an admirable work ethic,” Webb said. “She maintains very high standards, which will translate into success in law school and her future career.”

The Jack P. Barlow, Sr. Book Prize honors the memory of Professor Barlow, who served for over three decades as professor of American history at Huntington University, and carries a prize of $250 worth of academic books. It is sponsored by the Ron Frank Fund, which rewards academic achievement and student participation at professional academic conferences. The fund was established in 1973 in honor of Ron Frank, a former student at Huntington University.

The Johnston Memorial Award is given annually to the author of a research paper written in the History and Political Science Department. Nominations for the award demonstrate the highest level of intellectual engagement and adherence to standards of professional scholarship.

Luckey is from Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and is a graduate of Homestead High School. She is currently working on a Bachelor of Science degree in history education and a Bachelor of Arts degree with three majors — history, political science and international & development studies — along with completing Huntington University’s Honors Program. She intends to graduate in May 2025 and pursue either graduate study or teaching at the secondary level.

Luckey’s award-winning research paper was chosen by a competitive process and her project, “The Importance of Devaraja to the Success of the Angkor Empire,” detailed how devaraja, a blending of Hindu-Buddhist ideas about political authority and the divine will, served the interests of Khmer emperors in ancient Cambodia during the reigns of Indravarman I, Suryavarman I, Suryavarman II and Jayavarman VII. Her work was completed under the direction of Dr. Timothy O. Smith in his advanced seminar, Art and Archeology of Ancient Angkor. Luckey also received the department’s Jack P. Barlow Sr. History Book Prize in 2023.

“Rebecca produced a brave and nuanced analysis of the complicated relationship between ‘power’ and religious ‘belief’ in ancient Cambodia,” Smith said. “In doing so, she explored the dynamic synergies at work between kingship power and the Devaraja cult, which enabled the Khmer Empire to dominate mainland Southeast Asia for several centuries.”

The S.G. Whittle Johnston Memorial Award honors the memory of S.G. Whittle Johnston, late professor at University of Virginia, and carries a cash award of $1,000. It is funded by the S.G. Whittle Johnston Memorial Award Fund, which was established by an HU alumnus and former faculty member to encourage students to strive for excellence in research in the fields of history and political science.