Tom Nelson Memorial Golf Scholarhip

Tom Nelson

"Tom Nelson Memorial Golf Scholarship"

Longmont Daily Times-Call
Friday, February 25, 1994

"Faces Behind Scholarships"
by Paul Flanders

A student loan supervisor for Bank One who travels throughout Colorado told Marilyn Martin, a counselor at Longmont High School, that the district has more scholarships available than anywhere else in the state. It sparked my curiosity as to who provided these scholarships and why they chose to give their money to this particular form of charity. I made about a half-dozen or so calls and didn't get a complete picture.

For example, who was Edith Welker Meyer? She died of cancer in the late 1940s and left her considerable estate to the the St. Vrain Valley Schools to be used for scholarships. The Welker fund is the largest single source of local scholarships. My sources tell me was "a nice old gal." One thought she may have been a school teacher. She probably bequeathed her estate so young people could develop their minds further, but why? Just to help other people? Help Longmont? A patriotic urge to help the country? Further civilization? I'd like to know precisely why she made that decision.

Here are some thumbnail sketches of others who provided scholarship money.

Some of the following require that recipients be graduates of Longmont High:

JOE AND FANNIE COOK KIWANIS MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP: Both were deeply interested in music. Joe started the first Boy Scout Bank in Longmont in 1921. Later he had a dance band that played at CSU, CU and Roosevelt Park dances from 1932 to 1948. The Cooks donated all their dance music to the Rhythm Aires of Longmont High.

CAL MEIER AWARD: A $500.00 scholarship goes to a senior who writes the best essay on "What America Means to Me." Meier, a World War I veteran, helped form American Legion Post #32 and was a Colorado Department Commander.

DR. O.B. JERNIGAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: Similar in that the $500.00 grant goes to the senior who writes the best essay on "What the Constitution Means to Me." Jernigan, WWI veteran, also helped establish Legion Post #32 and believed in investing in America.

MARTHA PRESSEY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: Goes to someone entering elementary education. Pressey was a teacher who believed that she could make the greatest difference in life in that occupation.

CUNDALL TRUST ART SCHOLARSHIP: Came from an unidentified Longmont artist.

TOM NELSON

MEMORIAL GOLF SCHOLARSHIP

Named after a state medalist Longmont High golfer who fought in Vietnam and later died of a brain tumor.

IVAN J. TRIMBALL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: Goes to a two-sport athlete because Trimble was an athletic director and coach who began the baseball program at Longmont High.

FRANCIS BOLTON SCIENCE SCHOLARSHIP: Named after a geology and biology teacher who also worked for the U.S. Park Service.

CAPTAIN MARTIN GRAHAM JR. SCHOLARSHIP: Named after a young man who was killed in an airplane crash in Alaska.

HOWARD GRANT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: Set up by the three Grant Brothers, Doug, Wally and Charles, in honor of their father who had a great love of literature and scholarship.

L. RAY HICKMAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: Goes to a senior who plans to enter education. Hickman was a school principal and assistant superintendent.

RAY LANYON SCHOLARSHIP: Named after a former publisher of the Times-Call and mayor.

LYNN W. CLARK SCHOLARSHIP: Named after a former Longmont native and rural mail carrier who ended up quite successful, owning land that later became Clark-Centennial Park.

I hope student recipients feel honored to be part of the community spirit in evidence here.