First Amendment Studies Offers Williams Fellowship

The Center for First Amendment Studies at CSULB has announced the establishment of the Jack Williams Fellowship, a scholarship for graduate students in the university’s master’s program in communication studies.

Williams, the former chief operating officer and president of Royal Caribbean International, has made a multi-year commitment to support the center’s fellowship, which annually supports two fellows for the academic year.

A CSU graduate, Williams noted, “I am extremely proud to be able to offer this fellowship program to qualifying graduate students at California State University, Long Beach because the pursuit of educational excellence especially as it relates to the freedom of speech, our most valued right in a free society, is indeed a pursuit we all must be willing to participate in and protect if we are to continue enjoying all the benefits provided by the First Amendment.”

The 2013-14 Williams Fellows are Nick Fox and Loretta Rowley. The Williams Fellowship is providing funds to cover tuition, books, travel or other educational expenses.

To be eligible for a Williams Fellowship, candidates must be graduate students in good standing in the communication studies graduate program. Additionally, they must have a demonstrated research interest in the First Amendment.

“This generous gift allows us to make fellowships available to our graduate students who are interested in doing research on such First Amendment issues as freedom of expression and religion,” said Smith. “With tuition rising substantially in the CSU system, it is wonderful that Jack Williams would step forward to help our students out.”