David McCullough Essay Contest Opens

The Gilder Lehrman Institute is now accepting submissions for the 2024 David McCullough Essay Prizes. The essay contest—fully revised and revamped for 2024—will now recognize 14 outstanding high school student research and interpretive essays with cash prizes of up to $5,000. This contest is named in memory of David McCullough (1933–2022)—a Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and Gilder Lehrman Life Trustee—and honors his career telling America’s stories and examining its histories. Learn more about his life and legacy here. Learn more.