Posted by Mary Wimberley on 2005-11-18

Samford University students Lane Lofton and Katherine Veach won first and second place in the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission's 2005 Thomas Shumaker writing award program.

Lofton won the top award for his paper, "Faith in Action: A Look Into the Origin of the Christian Church in Bluff Park and Its Effect on the Bluff Park Community." A sophomore history major from Brookhaven, Miss., Lofton received a $500 cash prize.

Veach won second place and a $300 cash prize for her paper, "Staking a Spot on the Selma Skyline: The Architecture of the 1904 Sanctuary of First Baptist Church Selma." Veach is a senior religion major from Selma.

The winners were announced Wednesday (Nov. 16) at the annual meeting of the Alabama Baptist State Convention in Huntsville. The awards program exists to foster interest in Alabama Baptist history among college undergraduates. The late Mr. Shumaker was a member of the Commission.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.