Index
Scholarships
The Edgar B. Graves Scholarship
The Edgar B. Graves Scholarship was established in 1983 by friends and former students in memory of Professor Edgar B. "Digger" Graves, who taught history at Hamilton from 1927 to 1969.
Edgar B. “Digger” Graves was born in Philadelphia. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Haverford College and his Ph.D. at Harvard University. In 1927, he joined the faculty at Hamilton College, teaching history until his retirement in 1969. Professor Graves specialized in medieval history, specifically medieval English law. His book, a thoroughly revised and heavily updated edition of Charles Gross's A Bibliography of English History to 1485, was published in 1975. His contributions were recognized by his peers when he was elected a councillor of the Medieval Academy of America and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Haverford and Hamilton College awarded him honorary degrees. However impressive his scholarship, Digger was preeminently the teacher. A demanding pedagogue who commanded the attention of generations of students as he explained everything from land tenure rights to the intricacies of the game of cricket. Professor Graves died in 1983 at the age of 84.
Digger’s grandson, Stephen W. Starnes, son of his daughter, Barbara Starnes, is a member of the Class of 1980, and his great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Starnes, is a member of the Class of 2011.
June 2014
Please note: The named scholarships profiled on these pages are awarded as part of the College’s need-based financial aid packages. These funds help ensure the Hamilton Promise of keeping education affordable through meeting a student’s full demonstrated financial need.
Materials published here were diligently researched and written by students who strived for historical accuracy.
