Winners of the 13th Annual Philip L. Carret "Thomas Jefferson Essay Competition" were named April 27, 2009, at a recognition dinner in the Center for the Arts.
Six students entered this year’s competition, writing on the following topic:
“In a March 1784 letter to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson lamented, ‘All the world is becoming commercial. Was it practicable to keep our new empire separated from them we might indulge ourselves in speculating whether commerce contributes to the happiness of mankind. But we cannot separate ourselves from them.’
“Men and women living in the new United States, in other words, bought and sold goods in a global economy, and they realized that their economic decisions had important domestic and international political significance. Indeed, in Jeffersonian America, statesmen, essayists, merchants, farmers, and others routinely politicized Americans’ economic decisions and assigned partisan attributes to their choices. During the Revolution, for example, Patriot leaders mobilized sentiment against Britain through a series of economic boycotts, and New England Federalists were so frustrated with Jeffersonian restrictions on international trade from 1807-1815 that they contemplated secession. Meanwhile, rising economic rivalries between the nation’s sections generated increasing political tensions. Clearly, Americans’ political ideas about economic development were increasingly shaped by global concerns that reverberated in every town and state.
“In a well organized essay, address the relationship between economic development and politics in Jefferson’s American (roughly 1770-1826). You might consider how and with what consequence a political leader or party addressed Americans’ economic anxieties and hopes at the domestic or international level. Or you might assess how the nation’s economic development shared the country’s political landscape. Please note that you d not have to cover the entire date range – nor should you limit your treatment to the ideas and actions of Thomas Jefferson himself.”
First Place
Olivia Marie Hubert-Allen
Elon, N.C.
Senior (Journalism & Political Science)
Hubert-Allen’s essay, “The Pursuit of Happiness: Thomas Jefferson’s Understanding of Liberty and Empire in Early American Economic Development,” won her the $1,000 top prize. The former editor in chief of The Pendulum, Hubert-Allen – who won second place last year in the contest – is a Presidential Scholar and Communications Fellow. She is the daughter of T. Scott Allen and Deven Ann Hubert.
Second Place
Jenna Danielle Stout
Siler City, N.C.
Sophomore (History)
Stout’s essay, “Hamilton’s Country: Economics and Politics in Jeffersonian America,” won her $600. Stout is a Presidential Scholar and a Watson Scholar, and she has consistently made the President’s or Dean’s lists. Stout is the daughter of Roy and Deborah Stout.
Honorable Mentions
Each of the following students received $100 for their entries.
Sarah Beth Costello
Laura Anne Gaither
Andrew Thomas Johnson
Brett Robert Scuiletti
The essays were judged by faculty members Kirstin Ringelberg, Nancy Midgette, Charles Irons, R. Clyde Ellis, David Copeland, Michael Carignan, the Rev. Richard McBride and University Registrar Mark Albertson.
The Philip L. Carret “Thomas Jefferson Essay Competition” is an endowed essay contest created in 1997 when Carret, a longtime New York investor, fell in love with Elon University after a visit to campus the previous year. Carret promoted the contest to have students reflect on the ideals and principles embodied in Thomas Jefferson’s life and career.