The Class of 1870 never forgot their alma mater. Fifty years after their graduation, they published their own alumni magazine, which they called The Golden Chain of Fifty Links. In it, they announced the creation of a yearly literary award of "not less than $50 to be awarded to a student member of the 'English Writer's Club' who, in the judgment of the English faculty, shall have produced the best original composition--story, essay, drama, etc.--in verse or prose."
The first 1870 prizes were given at the commencement exercises of 1920, the fiftieth anniversary of the graduation of the Class of 1870.
Five awards are given to students who submit the best original works in the categories of Academic/Scholarly, Non-fiction/Essay, Fiction, Poetry, and Magazine Feature Writing. Please find the last five (5) years' award winners listed below. For an exhaustive list of past recipients, please email the department at eng@owu.edu.
| Year | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Academic/Scholarly | Elliot McMillin '25 |
| Fiction | Anna Condo | |
| Non-Fiction/Essay | Anna Condo | |
| Magazine Feature Writing | Dani Phillip '25 | |
| Poetry | Ronan Thompson | |
| 2024 | Academic/Scholarly | Elliot McMillin '25 |
| Fiction | Emily McCullough '24 | |
| Non-Fiction/Essay | Jenna Nahhas '24 | |
| Magazine Feature Writing | Colleen McMenamin '25 | |
| Poetry | Rylee Reese-Stanley | |
| 2023 | Academic/Scholarly | Jenna Nahhas '24 |
| Creative Non-Fiction | Areli Hernandez | |
| Fiction | Savannah Brantley '25 | |
| Playwriting/Screenwriting | Emma Foster | |
| Poetry | Savannah Brantley '25 | |
| 2022 | Academic/Scholarly | Anne Marazita '24 |
| Creative Non-Fiction | Halima Elmajdoubi '24 | |
| Fiction | Katerina Barry '22 | |
| Playwriting/Screenwriting | Isabella Tinti-Kane '24 | |
| Poetry | Dmitri Ashakih '22 | |
| 2021 | Academic/Scholarly | Anne Marazita '24 |
| Creative Non-Fiction | Molly Berrey '21 | |
| Fiction | Isabela Bernstein '23 | |
| Playwriting/Screenwriting | Sarah Jonassen '22 | |
| Poetry | Katie Peterson '22 |