'Generous scholarship support for students who need it is the key to our future.'
Scholarship is as much a tradition at Union as Homecoming or painting the Idol. On these pages, Accolades looks at some of the College's scholarships and how they have shaped students' lives. They also exemplify the many different ways in which donors choose to create scholarships.
One who so eloquently articulated the tradition and importance of scholarship at Union was the late Charles M. Tidmarch, professor of political science. Speaking at the beginning of the College's Bicentennial Campaign, launched in 1991, Tidmarch hailed scholarships as a way to bring to campus talented and underserved undergraduates who can thrive in the College's challenging atmosphere and add to its intellectually vigorous life. His remarks, more than a decade later, are as timely as ever:
“One of the things I appreciate about the founding of Union is the democratic impulses that made this college different from most other early American colleges. True to the spirit that had brought forth a new nation, the founders of Union were determined to avoid narrow sectarian interest. The children of farmers were as welcome as the children of ministers and patroons.
“Thankfully, the College is as committed today as it was in 1795 to bringing together a blend of competent, highly motivated, young persons from varying backgrounds. Looking toward the next century, I am convinced that generous scholarship support for students who need it is the key to our future. When we help a student in this fashion, we also help our community, our nation, and our world.”