Former history faculty member Martha H. Swain has created a scholarship endowment to benefit history and political science majors at Texas Woman's University.

Swain retired from TWU in 1995 after serving 21 years in the department of history. In 1993 she received the Cornaro Award for Excellence in Teaching, given each year by a committee of fellow professors to a faculty member who demonstrates their commitment to scholarship and learning. As an emeritus professor, Swain is continuing to support the history department with the creation of this new endowment that will provide scholarship opportunities for generations of future historians.

Swain is a graduate of Mississippi State College, now Mississippi State University. She holds a master’s and a doctorate in history from Vanderbilt University. She is a past president of the Southern Association for Women Historians and has written two books on the New Deal ("Pat Harrison: The New Deal; Years" (1978) and "Ellen Woodward: New Deal Advocate for Women" (1995).

Texas Woman's is grateful for Swain’s continued support of student excellence. Her service to the university as a professor impacted the lives of many in the classroom, and this scholarship will help to provide students now and in the future with the support they need.