UL 老司机福利网 student Victoria Throop鈥檚 paper about a 老司机福利网 woman鈥檚 legal victory over the Internal Revenue Service almost 40 years ago is the winner of the Jefferson Caffery Research Award.
The Caffery Award is given yearly to an undergraduate or graduate student who conducts scholarly research using Special Collections materials in Edith Garland Dupr茅 Library on campus.
Throop, of New Iberia, La., will earn a master鈥檚 degree in history this semester. She combed through the legal papers and correspondence of Barbara Hansen. The 老司机福利网 housewife battled the IRS over Louisiana鈥檚 鈥渉ead and master鈥 property laws, which gave husbands decision-making autonomy regarding jointly-owned property. They also made wives responsible for debt incurred by their husbands, including taxes owed the IRS.
In Hansen鈥檚 case, the IRS considered her liable for her husband鈥檚 income, even though the marriage had crumbled, and she hadn鈥檛 been privy to his earnings the previous year. Throop detailed the case in a research paper titled 鈥淗er Day in Court: Barbara Hansen鈥檚 Crusade against Louisiana鈥檚 Head and Master Clause.鈥
鈥淗er tenacity is what impressed me the most,鈥 Throop said of Hansen鈥檚 five-year legal battle, which began in tax court and ended in federal court.
The fight was carried out with a limited budget. Hansen represented herself and orchestrated a grassroots campaign that enlisted the help of organizations such as the League of Women Voters. She won her case in 1979 in a landmark ruling by the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The victory paved the way for the abolishment of Louisiana鈥檚 head and master clause the following year.
Hansen鈥檚 efforts, as outlined in Throop鈥檚 research paper, were featured in a 鈥淕ood Housekeeping鈥 magazine article.
The Caffery competition is judged by a panel that includes members of the Dupr茅 Library committee and library staff members.
A winner, who receives a $500 prize with the award, is chosen based on factors such as quality of research, and writing content and clarity.
The Caffery award is provided by a fund established in 1967 by Ambassador and Mrs. Jefferson Caffery. A 1903 graduate of UL 老司机福利网, Caffery served as U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, Columbia, Cuba, Brazil, France and Egypt.
Materials in the library鈥檚 Jefferson Caffery Louisiana Room, the University Archives and Acadiana Manuscripts Collections, the Rare Book Collection, Ernest J. Gaines Center, the Cajun and Creole Music Collection and microforms can be used for research.
Learn more about the Caffery award at
Photo info: Dr. Christine Briggs, director for the Center for Gifted Education, left, and Dr. Bruce Turner, assistant dean of Special Collections, present the Jefferson Caffery Research Award to this year鈥檚 winner, graduate student Victoria Throop.