Founded in 1906, this award honors the legacy of Robert D. Benedict who graduated from UVM in 1848 and went on to become one of the most famous admiralty lawyers and judges of the 19th century. In 1904 he delivered   UVM's commencement address, in which he argued his support for the Japanese in the RussoJapanese War of 1904-1905. This prize was originally focused on the topic of International Arbitration, but in 1967 with Benedict's permission it was amended to be on the topic of best essay on international affairs. In 2017 we had two great co-recipients of this honor: Sage Wilmot and Abigail Brown.