SCC Instructor Wins Award in DAR Writing Contest

Surry Community College English Instructor, Dr. Kathleen Fowler recently earned national recognition for her creative writing skills.

Her short story, “The Silver Whistle and the Petticoat Spies” won third place in the American Heritage Literature and Drama Contest hosted by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR). The contest is open to Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) members around the world.

Her achievement was announced at the DAR National Awards Presentation held during Continental Congress, June 27, in Washington, D.C. However, because she was not able to attend, DAR awarded her certificate and ribbon at the District IV meeting on July 21, in Statesville.

Fowler’s short story celebrates the history behind the Overmountain Victory Trail, which has a trailhead in Elkin. The path follows the footsteps of the brave Overmountain men during the Revolutionary War who hunted the British major, Patrick Fergusson and his Loyalist militia. The Overmountain men surrounded and defeated Fergusson’s Loyalists at King’s Mountain. Their victory turned the tide of the war and led to the British surrender at Yorktown a year later.

Fowler is a member of the James Hunter Chapter of the NSDAR and has recently been elected regent of that chapter. DAR is a non-political, lineage-based, women’s service society whose members all trace their ancestry back to the Revolutionary War. Their focus is on education, patriotism, and preserving history.

“What an honor it is to be part of such a wonderful and talented group of ladies,” states Fowler. “Researching local history and visiting the Overmountain Victory Trail and King’s Mountain gave me a new and deeper appreciation for the brave men and women of Surry County who fought for our freedom during the Revolutionary War. I wrote my story in remembrance of them, and I am happy other people enjoyed it.”

Fowler’s short story has been published in the NSDAR American Heritage Committee’s 2023 Book of Winners and can be accessed digitally through the members’ website at dar.org.