GROVE CITY, Pa. – Grove City College Associate Professor of Religion and Humanities Dr. Paul C. Kemeny was recently awarded the Franklin Research Grant from the American Philosophical Society for work on his forthcoming book, “The First Moral Majority: The New England Watch and Ward Society and Moral Reform Politics in Late Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century America.”

Since 1933, the American Philosophical Society has awarded small grants to scholars to support the cost of research leading to publication in all areas of knowledge. In 2004, the Franklin Research Grants program awarded $350,000 to 85 scholars. The program is designed to help meet the costs of travel to libraries and archives for research purposes.

Kemeny has been awarded a sabbatical this coming fall to complete three chapters in his book. He has also received the Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship from the Massachusetts Historical Society and a research grant from the American Academy of Religion to help fund work on the book. Kemeny has authored several books, articles and reviews on 19th and 20th century American religious history.

Kemeny joined the Grove City College faculty in 2000. He and his wife Betsy, have two children, Helen and Will.