Mount Union College is proud of its long-running relationship with the respected William Randolph Hearst Foundations of New York. Thanks to their generosity, the College has received $200,000 over the past decade to endow the William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship for Minority Students.
In 2001, the William Randolph Hearst Foundations awarded a total of $5 million to ten colleges and universities. The Hearst Foundation, Inc. was founded in 1945 by philanthropist William Randolph Hearst. In 1948, Mr. Hearst established the California Charities Foundation. That name was changed to the William Randolph Hearst Foundation soon after Mr. Hearst's death in 1951. Both Foundations are independent private philanthropies operating separately from The Hearst Corporation.
The charitable goals of the two Foundations are essentially the same, and reflect the philanthropic interests of William Randolph Hearst -- Education, Health, Social Service and Culture. Within these four areas, the Foundations assist institutions in providing opportunities to underserved and underrepresented populations.
Similarly to most scholarships at Mount Union College, the William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship for Minority Students funds appear as a part of the recipients' financial aid packages. Over the past decade, several African American and Hispanic American students have benefited from the generosity of the Foundations.
This Scholarship, along with others, allows the College to continue to implement our plan for diversity. We remain strong in our institutional commitment to making higher education affordable for young people in general and minority students in particular. As stated in the Strategic Plan approved by the Board of Trustees in May of this year, "we will create a diverse environment where individual and cultural differences are explored, respected and valued." More specifically, the leadership of the College is devoting the necessary resources to increase the numbers of American born minority students, faculty, and staff over the next decade.
Working in partnership with the William Randolph Hearst Foundations we provide a life-changing education for many students who would otherwise be unable to attend Mount Union College. Of course the Scholarship benefits the particular students who are recipients of it. Beyond that, the Scholarship benefits our campus as a whole by helping us to create a more racially diverse campus environment.
For more information about The William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship for Minority Students, please contact Susan Denning, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at denninsk@muc.eduor (330) 829-8239.