Dr. Roger Louis, who holds the Kerr Chair in English History and Culture at UT Austin, has received the award of the Commander of the British Empire, one of the most prestigious honors given by the Queen of England.

The award is rarely given to Americans and is based on professional merit rather than political achievement. It was awarded to Louis for his historical work, primarily his books, Imperialism at Bay and British Empire in the Middle East. He also is editor-in-chief of the five-volume Oxford History of the British Empire, the last three volumes of which will be published next month in Oxford.

Louis is director of the British Studies program at the University.

Deadline for Dobie-Paisano writing fellowships set for Jan. 21

The deadline for applying for the Dobie-Paisano writing fellowships is Jan. 21, 2000. Sponsored by the Texas Institute of Letters and UT Austin, the fellowships offer six months in residence at the late J. Frank Dobie's ranch near Austin.

The Dobie-Paisano fellowships provide an opportunity for creative writers to live for an extended period of time at a place of significant literary association. The 254-acre ranch, 14 miles west of Austin on Barton Creek, is owned and maintained by UT Austin.

Two fellowships will be awarded for 2000-2001, the first beginning September 1, 2000 and the second March 1, 2001. The fellowships are known as the Ralph A. Johnston Memorial Fellowship and the Jesse H. Jones Writing Fellowship. Each provides a living allowance of $1,200 monthly during residence.

At the time of application, one of the following requirements must be met: the applicant must (1) be a native Texan, or (2) have lived in Texas at some time for at least two years, or (3) have published writing that has a Texas subject. Criteria for making the awards include quality of work, character of the proposed project, and suitability of the applicant for life at Paisano. Winners are announced in May.

For information and an application form: Mail: Dobie-Paisano Project, J. Frank Dobie House, 702 East Dean Keeton St., Austin, Texas 78705; Phone: 512-471-8542; Fax: 512-471-9997; or E-mail: aslate@mail.utexas.edu. The application form may be downloaded at http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/Paisano.pdf/ (Use Acrobat Reader 3.0 or higher.) If the electronic application is used, it must be printed and submitted (in three copies) with the rest of the entry and mailed in one package.

Safire to speak at UT Austin

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist William Safire will speak about "What's Going to Happen in Washington?" during his guest lecture Nov. 9 at UT Austin.

The 2 p.m. lecture in the Bass Becture Hall at the LBJ School of Public Affairs is free and open to the public. A man of many careers, Safire has been a reporter, public relations man, historian, politician, novelist, lexicographer, and columnist As a politician, he worked on the first Eisenhower Presidential campaign and later became a senior speechwriter in the Nixon White House.

Phantom classic silent film screenings scheduled

Lon Chaney Jr.'s classic and campy silent film, Phantom of the Opera, reaches new heights of horror when accompanied live by Dr. Frank Speller on the 24-ton Visser-Rowland Organ at UT Austin. There will be four screenings in Bates Recital Hall at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Oct. 29 and 30.

Costumes are welcome. Tickets cost $10, available at the door or by calling (512) 477-6060.