Harry S. Truman Scholarship

President Harry S. Truman

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship is a highly competitive and prestigious federal scholarship granted to U.S. college juniors for demonstrated leadership potential and a commitment to public service. The scholarship is in the amount of $30,000 toward a graduate education. According to the Washington Post, the Truman Scholarship's "sole aim is to pick out people with potential to become leaders—then provide support to help them realize their aspirations." [1]

Congress created the scholarship in 1975 as a living memorial to the 33rd president of the United States. Instead of a statue, the Truman Scholarship is the official federal memorial to its namesake president.

History

On May 30, 1974, Senator Stuart Symington of Missouri sponsored S.3548,[2] formally titled "A bill to establish the Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarships." Symington held the same Class 1 Senate seat that Truman had held from 1935-1945 before becoming Vice President. The Senate passed the bill on August 2, and the House followed suit on December 17. Two similar House bills, H.R.15138[3] sponsored by William J. Randall of Missouri and H.R.17481[4] sponsored by James G. O'Hara of Michigan, were set aside in favor of Symington's bill.

The bill was signed by President Gerald Ford and enacted as Public Law 93-642 on January 4, 1975 and entered the United States Statutes at Large as 88 Stat. 2276-2280, and the United States Code as 20 U.S.C. 2001-2013.[5] It now operates as Program 85.001, governed by 45 CFR 1801[6] as published in the Code of Federal Regulations in the Federal Register.

Governance

Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation

The Truman Scholarship is administered by the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation, an independent federal executive branch agency. It is governed by a 13-member Board of Trustees headed by President Madeleine Albright, who says the foundation "serves as a gateway for America's public service leaders" and "does a remarkable job of identifying future change agents." Eight board members are appointed by the U.S. President, including a state governor, a city or county chief executive, a federal judge, a state judge, a representative of higher education, and three members of the public. The remainder of the board comprises two Senators, two Representatives, and the United States Secretary of Education (ex-officio).[7] The Foundation's operations are overseen by full-time Executive Secretary Dr. Andrew Rich. Its endowment, which takes the form of a federal trust fund held in the U.S. Department of the Treasury, is $55 million.

Qualifications

The scholarship is awarded to approximately 50-75 U.S. college juniors each year on the basis of four criteria:[8] service on campus and in the community, commitment to a career in public service (government, uniformed services, research, education, or public interest/advocacy organizations), communication ability and aptitude to be a "change agent," and academic talent that would assure acceptance to a first-rate graduate school. More broadly, Truman Scholars possess intellect, leadership skills, and passion that would make them a likely force for the public good in any field.[9]

Application process

Candidates are selected after an arduous application process. Students must first win the nomination of their undergraduate university. Each undergraduate institution in the United States is allowed up to four nominations, but many schools receive dozens of applications. Roughly six hundred to seven hundred students are nominated by their college or university and up to 60 are selected.[10] Schools can nominate up to four students as well as up to three transfer students. No particular career, service interest, or policy field is preferred during the process. Each year, the Truman Scholarship is awarded to one or two students from institutions that have never had a Truman Scholar.[11]

Benefits

Truman Scholars Association

Scholars currently receive an award of $30,000 going toward up to three years of graduate education leading to a career in the public service.[12] Winners also benefit from a network of other scholars through the Truman Scholars Association and lasting friendship, which is encouraged by the Truman Scholars Leadership Week at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, and the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, during which new scholars collaborate on policy projects. Scholars accept a 10-week Summer Institute internship in Washington, D.C., which features additional professional development training. Of this group, a small number continue federal agency jobs for a full year as part of the Truman Albright Fellows program.

Certain graduate and professional schools give some degree of priority and funding to applicants who are Truman Scholars. Truman Scholars are exempt from taking the written section of the U.S. Foreign Service Exam. Scholars also automatically become part of the Truman Scholars Association, the independent alumni association that works to foster additional opportunities and networking for Scholars.

Notable Truman Scholars

See also: Truman Scholars category

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Michael Dakduk (2010), former CEO of Student Veterans of America (SVA)

Michael Long (2013) current CEO of Sail Future

References

  1. ↑ Present Scholars, Future Leaders
  2. ↑ S.3548
  3. ↑ H.R.15138
  4. ↑ H.R.17481
  5. ↑ 20 U.S.C. 2001-2013
  6. ↑ 45 CFR 1801
  7. ↑ Truman Scholarship Foundation members
  8. ↑ Primary selection criteria for scholarship
  9. ↑ Who are Truman Scholars?
  10. ↑ Each nominated application is then examined by a regional review panel and finalists are then selected for an interview. The interviews are conducted by panels of former Truman scholars, trustees of the board, and notable national public servants. These panelists then make final selections of scholarship winners, generally attempting to choose one from each of the 50 states. How many students participate in the competition each year?
  11. ↑ There has never been a Truman Scholar from my school. Do I have a chance?
  12. ↑ What benefits do Truman Scholars receive?
  13. ↑ Ernest Calderón named Man of the Year for 2004
  14. ↑ http://law.txwes.edu/Faculty/FacultyProfiles/FrederickGSlabach/tabid/841/Default.aspx
  15. ↑
  16. ↑ Keith Richburg - Official Site of Washington Post Reporter and Author of Out of America: A Black Man Confronts Africa
  17. ↑ Press Release, Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation
  18. ↑ NASPAA - National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration
  19. ↑ Pacific Magazine: AMERICAN SAMOA: New Power Authority CEO Controversial Selection
  20. ↑ Todd F. Gaziano
  21. ↑ Deseret Morning News | Laws test states' rights
  22. ↑ Center for Bioethics
  23. ↑ ;
  24. ↑ North Pole, Alaska - HOME
  25. ↑ Press Release: Univision Names Maryam Banikarim Chief Marketing Officer
  26. ↑ DOJ/OIG Organization - Oversight and Review Division Text Version
  27. ↑ http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/directory/saul_jason.aspx
  28. ↑ Two Prosecutors At Guantanamo Quit in Protest: Rather than take part in military trials they considered rigged against alleged terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba JESS BRAVIN / Wall Street Journal 1aug2005
  29. ↑ http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/61-2009/senate/senators/bios/macschneider.html

External links