Cumberland University announced today that alumnus Brandon Eldridge has received the 2020 James Madison Memorial Fellowship by the James Madison Memorial Foundation. 

Fellowship Awardee Brandon Eldridge graduated from Cumberland University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Public Administration and graduated in 2010 with a Master of Arts in Education from the university. He is currently a teacher at Warren County High School in McMinnville, Tenn. 

The fellowship will fund up to $24,000 of Eldridge’s course of study towards his second master’s degree. He is currently enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Kearney working towards a Master of Arts in History focused on Constitutional History and a minor in Early 20th Century History. 

“Cumberland University was one of the best decisions I ever made,” said Cumberland Alumnus Brandon Eldridge. “CU gave me the opportunity to become the man I am and the skills that I learned were crucial to my growth as an educator.” 

James Madison Fellowships support further study of American history by college graduates who aspire to become teachers of American history, American government and civics in the nation’s secondary schools. The award is intended to recognize promising and distinguished teachers, to strengthen their knowledge of the origins and development of American constitutional government, and thus to expose the nation’s secondary school students to accurate knowledge of the nation’s constitutional heritage. 

Applicants from each of the fifty states and territories compete for the award and a total of 49 fellowships were awarded in 2020. The fellowship is funded by a trust fund in the Treasury of the United States and from additional private gifts, corporate contributions and foundation grants. 

To learn more about the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation, visit www.jamesmadison.gov.