Stephen Smith, professor emeritus of the Department of Communication in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, has won the Top Paper in the Freedom of Speech division of the Southern States Communication Association.

Smith's paper, "Founding Mothers of Freedom of Speech, 1774-1800," relates how the received history of the First Amendment is one dominated by the voices of men, often referred to as the Founding Fathers. Smith attempts to recover and reconstruct the contributions of three 18th century American women to the constitutional conversation.

His study draws on the essays, poems, plays, pamphlets and private correspondence of Mercy Otis Warren (1728-1814), Judith Sargent Murray (1751-1820), and Elizabeth Ryland Priestly (1769-1816) to enrich the canon of free speech arguments.

For more information on the Southern States Communication Association, visit ssca.net.