Herman Churchill

Herman Churchill (1869–1941) was an American historian and college professor. He served as the founding chairman of the History Department of Rhode Island State College, and was the namesake of the Herman Churchill Award for Excellence in History given annually to the top honors history student at the University of Rhode Island.

Early life, education and family Herman Churchill was born in Scott, New York, on 9 October 1869 to Sylvanus Amos Churchill and Caroline (Eadie) Churchill. He studied literature and rhetoric at Syracuse University, earning a A.B. degree in 1894. He earned his A.M. in Letters from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1902. Churchill married Cora Mae Boyce on 15 June 1898 in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and they had three children: Irving Lester Churchill (1901-1995), Florence Hermenia Churchill (1905-1920), and Arthur Chester Churchill (1911-2001). During his professional career, Churchill was active in civic affairs in the community, serving as president of the Tavern Hall Club in 1929, and he was active in genealogical research. The Herman Churchill Award for Excellence in History is given to highest achieving students graduating in history at the University of Rhode Island was named for Churchill.