Patterson Traveling Fellowship
Application deadline: March 4, 2026
The Patterson Fellowship is in memoriam to John Thomas Patterson and is intended to inspire the Harvard community to share John’s love for travel and for Italy. In his lifetime, John led bicycling tours through Europe and traveled with his friends. Together, they visited museums, historical sights, and restaurants. Inevitably, his students and friends acquired his enthusiasm for the places they visited. John was a demanding tour guide, eager to teach others the value and beauty of another culture. Of all the places he traveled, he loved Italy best.
As a law student and a graduate student in legal history, John was the head teaching fellow for several Harvard courses and a tutor in Mather House. A generation of undergraduates admired him for his intellect and his wisdom. John lived with AIDS for seven years and died on October 9, 1997. In 1998, his family and friends established this fellowship in his memory.
The award is intended to introduce Italy to a student who has little familiarity with the country. Applicants should propose a trip that would be intellectually purposeful and personally enriching, but it need not contribute in any way to an academic project. The award is for travel that would not otherwise have happened, rather than for funding travel that the student would have undertaken anyway.
- Applicants must be Harvard College first-year, sophomore, junior, or first-semester senior in the spring term.
- Good disciplinary and academic standing.
- Mather House residency is preferred but not required.
- There is a preference for applicants who have not already traveled extensively.
The fellowship carries up to a $5,000 stipend to cover 2-3 weeks of cultural exploration within Italy during the summer following application.
Applications for this opportunity are assessed on the basis of the following:
- Proposal: Clarity and feasibility of proposed activities, timelines, locations
- Applicant Background: Demonstrated personal or intellectual curiosity for Italy
- Character: resourcefulness, maturity, independence of mind
Applications are read by a residential tutor selection committee. There are no interviews in this selection process. Awards are announced in late April.
The application consists of a few elements. Please upload these via our application system.
- Proposal (1000 words): In a short essay, demonstrate your curiosity about Italy, present a possible itinerary, and describe specific sites of interest to you. Where possible, include some connection between your academic and/or extracurricular interests and your travel plans, as well as casual but thoughtful research into guidebooks, travel literature, and/or histories of Italy.
- Budget and Budget Narrative: Within the application, outline all expenses you might incur during your travels. This could include, but is not limited to, the following: transportation, accommodations, food, visas, entry tickets, supplies. Include a brief 1-page narrative of your expenses to accompany the form.
- One (1) Reference: The letter should attest to your personal qualities and the suitability of your proposal and should have a Harvard affiliation. Letters should be addressed to The John Thomas Patterson Traveling Fellowship Selection Committee.
- 1-page resume: Indicate significant activities, achievements, and experiences in college that demonstrate values and interests related to your proposal. Include your extracurricular interests and hobbies.
- Unofficial transcript: Download your unofficial transcript from my.harvard.edu, it should include your fall course grades and spring course registration.