Scholarships

Established:   

2021

Amount: 

$1,979 

Description:

In 1969, a group of concerned citizens, known as the Morris 8, brought an action against the NJ School Board to block the attempts of the Morris Township schools to pull out of the Morristown school system.  The Commissioner of Education ruled that he did not have the authority to block the separation, so the matter proceeded to the NJ Supreme Court.  In what is now one of the foremost decisions in the United States on school desegregation (Jenkins v. Township of Morris School District and Board of Ed, 58 NJ 483), the NJ Supreme Court in 1971 ruled in favor of the citizens and directed that the school systems be merged. The Morris 8 were Beatrice Jenkins, Cliff Burton, Charles C. “Moose” Jamison, Jr., Theodore King, Valerie Kowalski, Lloyd Newberry, Inge Nierenberg, and Ernestine Ritchie.  Seven of them had children in the school system at that time.  The Morristown High School Class of 1979 has created this scholarship dedicated to the Morris 8 legacy.

Criteria:

The scholarship will be open to all Morristown High School seniors who meet the following requirements:

• Demonstrates a commitment to democracy and diversity, equal opportunity and ethnic strengths, and freedom and fraternity.

• Planning to attend college or trade school.

• Minimum weighted GPA of 2.5

• Financial need (preferred, but not required)

Application Requirements:

• MEF Common Scholarship Application with current transcript

• Response to the essay prompt - How do you think your experience at Morristown High School with respect to democracy and diversity, equal opportunity and ethnic strengths, and freedom and fraternity has prepared you for your future?

• Provide two letters of recommendation that address why this student should be chosen for this scholarship – one from a teacher and one from the guidance counselor.

  Click here to apply