The National Sporting Library is pleased to announce that it has established a fellowship in the name of the late John H. Daniels (1921-2006), the Library's long-time friend and supporter. The Library is a center for research in horse and field sports, and its collections document the history and sociology of sport and the important bond between humans and animals. The Library is located just 42 miles west of Washington, DC. Its collections cover equestrian sports, angling, shooting, and other field sports.

Throughout his association with the Library, John Daniels heartily endorsed an annual fellowship program that would attract top scholars to the Library. He and his wife Martha donated a spectacular collection of 5,000 sporting books in 1995, including the Library's earliest book on the sport of dueling – Duello by the Italian writer, Paride del Pozzo - dated 1523. This wealth of sporting books was the impetus behind building the Library's new facility, which opened in 1999. It was Daniels' most fervent wish that scholars use and read both his and the Library's other rare and wonderful books.

The John H. Daniels' Fellowship will provide financial assistance and housing to recipients. Researchers are asked to submit an application, proposing a research project to be conducted at the Library. Researchers must demonstrate in their proposals what collections and books they will consult. Application materials and instructions can be found under the fellowship link on the Library's website, www.nsl.org, or by contacting Elizabeth Tobey, Fellowship Coordinator, at fellowship@nsl.org or 540-687-6542 x 25. Tobey is also serving as the first fellow, and is translating into English one of the Library's oldest books, Federico Grisone's treatise on horsemanship, Gli Ordini di Cavalcare (The Rules of Riding), first published in Italy in 1550.

The application deadline for 2008 fellowships is September 30, 2007. Successful applicants will be notified by the end of December.

The National Sporting Library has free admission and is open to researchers and the general public from Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. Currently on view are two exhibitions, Reflections on a Life with Horses, featuring the horse racing paintings of Sir Alfred Munnings, and White House Horses.