RJR CLASS OF 1968 MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Background
The idea for a memorial scholarship originated with members of the class in response to the tragic death of one classmate, Ed Gannaway, who saved many lives but lost his own, heroically piloting a malfunctioning commuter airplane to the ground in August 1995. As interest in the proposed scholarship grew, so did the desire to have it memorialize all departed members of the Class of 1968, in recognition of the contributions they made to our collective life while at Reynolds, and to their respective communities in subsequent years.
The class voted overwhelmingly to establish the scholarship versus other ideas presented. Thus, in 1997, the R.J. Reynolds High School Class of 1968 Memorial Scholarship was launched. It is funded almost entirely by classmate donations to the endowment, which is managed by the Winston-Salem Foundation. Our scholarship recipient is chosen annually by a committee of classmates. A member of the class presents the award at RJR’s annual Class Day, and also memorializes any deceased classmates from the prior year at that same event.
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If you are a student interested in applying for the RJRHS Class of 1968 Memorial Scholarship, please click the link below and complete the form.
Description
The Class of 1968 currently awards one scholarship each year to a graduating RJR High School senior who will pursue a bachelor’s degree at an accredited college or university. The scholarship is a consecutive, four-year renewable award. Currently, the scholarship provides $32,000 ($8000.00 per year), disbursed to the recipient in equal payments over eight semesters.
Requirements
The applicant must be an RJR senior, in good standing with the school, with a minimum, unweighted GPA of 3.5. All applicants are evaluated on three equally-weighted criteria: academic achievement, community service (within the school and in the community at large), and financial need.
Selection Committee Chairs and Members
(1998-2022)
| Chairs | Years |
|---|---|
| Molly Piner Brown | 1998 – 2004 |
| Karen Hancock Blackwelder | 2004 – 2006 |
| Nancy Gheesling Streblow | 2007 – 2008 |
| Charles Jenkins | 2008 – 2011 |
| Marcia Mueller Priddy | 2012 – 2014 |
| Ted Macklin | 2014 – 2017 |
| Karlynn Morgan | 2018 – 2021 |
| Susan Speak Parrish | 2022 – |
Members
Mary Armstrong Lowe
Mary Adams Nicholson
Molly Barber Griffin
Delphine Baskins Kearney
Woody Fox
Billy D. Friende, Jr.
David Fuller
Penny Gallins
Nancy Gheesling Streblow
Eric Giles
Ann Googe Nusbaum
Karen Hancock Blackwelder
Bill Hunt
Charles Jenkins
Terry Key
Jim Lawson
Molly Levin Beck
Larry Little
Ted Macklin
Jim Martin
Karlynn Morgan
Marcia Mueller Priddy
Bill Nifong
Jan Nicholson Assimos
Sami Ousley Bills
Molly Piner Brown
Huck Robinson
Chris Sawyer
Janet Silverman Roseman
Bill Spaulding
Susan Speaks Parrish
Mike Swain
Alan Toy
Tom Transou
Dan Tulman
Carol Vealy Miller
John Weiler
Jim Witherington