Announcing the Dorothy Banks Scholarship

The English Department is excited to announce the Dorothy Banks Scholarship, which will generously support undergraduate and graduate folklore students in their progress toward their degrees. Dorothy Banks was an inspiring English teacher at Cody High School in Cody, Wyoming, from 1958-1990. She fiercely supported all of her students, offering kindness, love, and safety for LGBTQIA+ students as well as those who felt like they didn’t belong. 

The scholarship is the family’s tribute to Dorothy Banks. Her daughter Jeannie Thomas, folklore professor in the English Department, said they wanted to continue the good she did in her life. “My mother was just such a force of warmth,” Jeannie says. “She was really good at enveloping her students in that. Her room was the place where students could go if they felt weird or needed a safe space, and she left it open for them during the lunch hour so they could eat their lunches there.” 

Dorothy Banks was ahead of her time, focusing on patience and mental health in a world that didn’t yet value it. Jeannie comments, “She actually taught books that dealt with students’ mental health, but she was teaching in a day that thought, ‘You just have to teach students to be tough.’ She recognized that students are wonderful humans, and they weren’t getting the support they needed. She decided to provide that support.” 

She was also ahead of her time when it came to her love of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Dorothy would hang posters and signs around her room to transport her students to Middle Earth and encourage them to embrace literature as well as their imagination. 

Jeannie said she always looked up to her mother and inherited her love of English from her, despite always having her grammar corrected. “I’m so impressed with her,” Jeannie says. “She was just always there for her students, down for whatever, and a champion of literature at the same time.” 

The Dorothy Banks Scholarship is intended for students in the folklore program to help them further their studies. “It should encourage people who maybe haven’t felt encouraged before,” Jeannie reflects. “She would totally appreciate that.”

“We are so grateful to the family of Dorothy Banks for supporting and encouraging our folklore students,” says English Department Head Brian McCuskey. “Scholarships like this one are such a boost for students, helping to spark their curiosity about the world, ignite their passion for discovery, and fuel their success both in school and beyond.”

Along with the Dorothy Banks Scholarship, the English Department offers a variety of scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students alike. We seek applications from across disciplines and support students on both a merit and needs basis. “The English Department has many scholarships sponsored by donors who care deeply about the success of USU students,” notes Associate Professor Ben Gunsberg. “I enjoy my role on the scholarship committee because it allows me to support students' personal and academic goals."

Thank you to Dorothy Banks for her commitment to kindness and literature and her family for their generous gift! Information about all scholarship opportunities can be found on the English Department website.