The George Rebec Prize

The George Rebec Prize is given at each spring graduation in honor of George Rebec, a member of the University of Oregon Philosophy department from 1921 until his death in 1944. Professor Rebec studied with John Dewey, receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1895, and subsequently served as President of the Pacific Division of the American Philosophical Association, as Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Oregon, and as Prince Lucien Campbell Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oregon.

An APA Memorial Resolution from 1944 describes Professor Rebec as "a brilliant teacher, lecturer, and conversationalist. In the classroom, on the rostrum, and in private gatherings, he had the power and the will always to rouse minds and to move feelings to fruitful thought and fresh appreciations." (read the full memorial resolution [pdf], published in "Proceedings of the American Philosophical Association of 1944--May 1, 1945," The Philosophical Review 54, no. 4 [July 1945]).

The Rebec Prize is given for the best essay by a philosophy student, both undergraduate and graduate.

How to Submit an Essay

Essays for the Rebec Prize are accepted during the spring term, usually with a deadline of or around May 1st; as this varies from year to year, please read the current call for submissions [pdf] for this year's deadline. The essay will typically be a paper written for a philosophy class; however, it is not limited to such an essay. Papers need to be typewritten, double-spaced, and must not exceed 20 pages in length. Please indicate on the paper that it is a submission for the Rebec Prize. Please note that each student may only submit one paper.

The graduate award decision is made by the faculty members currently serving on the Graduate Studies Committee; the undergraduate award decision is made by the faculty members currently serving on the Undergraduate Studies Committee.

Past Winners of the Rebec Prize