William Murtagh Family photo

Background 

William J. Murtagh, Ph.D., established the Keepers Preservation Education Fund in 1988. Originally a charitable trust, the trustees voted to place the fund with the MaineCF in 2008. After Bill’s death, the committee established a graduate scholarship in his honor.  

According to an abstract at the University of Maryland titled Papers of William J. Murtagh, “William J. Murtagh is one the world’s leading historic preservationists. As an administrator, educator, speaker and writer he has helped shape the historic preservation movement for more than 50 years.”  His obituary in The Washington Post from October 2018 noted: “In a more than half-century career, Dr. Murtagh served as a vice president at the National Trust for Historic Preservation; helped establish preservation programs as a professor at Columbia University, the University of Maryland and the University of Hawaii; and wrote what is widely considered the first major textbook in his field, "Keeping Time: The History and Theory of Preservation in America," originally published in 1988 and now in its third edition.

Purpose 

The Keepers Preservation Education Fund provides financial support to aspiring or established preservation professionals in the United States through two scholarships: the Keepers Preservation Education Award and the William J. Murtagh Scholarship for Graduate Historic Preservation Studies.  These programs support students who wish to expand their experience in historic preservation-related subjects. Awards may be used for tuition, professional meeting attendance, special book or other types of media purchases, domestic and foreign study travel, and other purposes as deemed appropriate. 

William J. Murtagh Scholarship for Graduate Historic Preservation Studies 

Individuals eligible for awards include: 

• Students pursuing graduate-level degrees at institutions of higher learning with majors in historic preservation or allied fields, including archaeology, architecture, landscape architecture, art history, museum studies, construction arts and sciences, architectural history, history, planning, preservation law, building conservation, or other historic preservation – related field of study 
• Awards will be paid directly to the recipient’s college and may be used for tuition, room and board, books, materials, fees, and any other items related to the cost of attendance in a graduate degree program. 

Apply Online   

• Applications are completed and submitted through our online portal and require the following uploads, as well as a narrative response to several questions:
  • Most recent college transcript showing all semesters of study
  • Resume highlighting your education and work in the historic preservation field
  • Two recommendations from professors or other people in the historic preservation field who are familiar with your work
  • A copy of your financial aid information from your college. 

Applicants may be from anywhere in the United States. Applicants may not be members of the awards committee or the immediate family of a committee member or Dr. Murtagh. 

Scholarships may be renewable at the discretion of the committee.

Award and decline notifications will be sent via mail.

To apply: Apply Online

Deadline: May 15, 2024 

Contact: For more information about the William J. Murtagh Scholarship, please contact Jackie Shannon at jshannon@mainecf.org 

Keepers Preservation Education Award 

Individuals eligible for awards include: 

• Students enrolled full- or part-time in institutions of higher learning with majors in historic preservation or allied fields, including American studies, anthropology, archaeology, architecture, landscape architecture, art history, architectural history, history, planning, law, economics, or building conservation
• Volunteer or paid staff of organizations or entities involved in historic preservation
• Practicing professionals in historic preservation-related fields seeking further experience in non-degree programs. 

Applicants may be from anywhere in the United States. Applicants may not be members of the awards committee or the immediate family of a committee member or Dr. Murtagh. Preference will be given to applicants who have not received an award in the past 24 months. 

Award Size: Varies
Application Deadline: Rolling
To Apply: See below for application instructions 

How to Apply 

Individuals must apply through a sponsoring institution or organization, which reviews and forwards the application to MaineCF. MaineCF does not accept applications directly from individuals seeking financial assistance. For example, an individual may seek institutional sponsorship from a college or university in which they are enrolled, from a preservation institution at which they are an employee, or from a preservation organization in which they are a member. 

Sponsoring institutions must agree to screen the applicant and administer the grant through an existing selection system such as an awards or scholarship committee. The institution assesses the applicant’s qualifications and need and forwards the recommended application to the community foundation for funding consideration. 

Applications must include the following: 

• A one-page statement explaining why funds are needed. As part of this statement, please include:
  • Your name, address, e-mail address, and phone number
  • An explanation of your relationship to the sponsoring organization
  • Statement of total funds needed in support of the project/activity, itemized by budget category (registration, transportation, lodging, etc.). 
• Resume:
  • Focusing on your education and work in the historic preservation field
• The sponsoring institution must submit a short statement explaining how the application was reviewed and how many individuals participated in the screening or selection process. Please include:
  • The institution’s name, address, and phone number
  • The name of the contact person coordinating the institution’s sponsorship of the application with their address, email address, and phone number
  • The purpose of the institution
  • Number of faculty/staff affiliated with the institution
  • The approximate operating budget of the sponsoring institution, organization, department, or program as applicable. 

The sponsoring institution should email all supporting documents to Jackie Shannon,  jshannon@mainecf.org. 

When to Apply 

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The community foundation prefers to receive applications at least two months in advance of actual need. Applicants will be notified of the committee’s decision within one month of receipt of the application. 

Contact 

For more information about the Keepers Preservation Education Award, please contact Jackie Shannon at jshannon@mainecf.org.