Guittard Fellows Dinner Held to Celebrate Awards
On Monday, October 24, 2022, the History Department held a dinner to honor the awarding of the 100th Guittard Fellow, as well as the Guittard Book Award winners from 2021 and 2022.
The first Guittard Fellow was named in 1959, in honor of Dr. Francis Gevrier Guittard, who served as the department chair at Baylor university from 1910 until 1948. Members of his family, Charles Guittard and Nancy Davis Labastida and Hank and Mary Voegtle, attended, as did Guittard Fellows from past and present.
Charles Guittard introduced the third and final volume on the life of his grandfather, titled I Will Teach History: The Life & Times of Francis Gevrier Guittard, Professor, Baylor University.
Dr. Eric Rust was officially presented with the 2021 Guittard Book Award for his book, U-boat Commander Oskar Kusch:
Anatomy of a Nazi-Era Betrayal and Judicial Murder. Dr. Rust talked about the extensive research that went into the creation of his book, explaining the arduous journey of tracking down Oskar Kusch’s relatives to detail aspects of his life.
Dr. Daniel Watkins was awarded the 2022 Guittard Book Award for his book, Berruyer’s Bible: Public Opinion and the Politics of Enlightenment Catholicism in France. Dr. Watkins thanked his family, naming them as integral to the publication of his first book.
Dr. Watkins remembered the dinner, stating,
“It was a wonderful event. I got the chance to sit with members of the Guittard family and have dinner with them. I was very honored to receive the 2022 Guittard Book Award. It is such a wonderful feeling to have work that you’ve spent many years completing honored and celebrated. I was flattered and humbled. Thanks to the Guittard family and to everyone who attended the event!”
The event concluded with acknowledgment of all current Guittard Fellows and Scholars. Each received a copy of Charles Guittard’s book and a certificate of recognition.