Morgan L. Queal Memorial Scholarship

Morgan L. Queal served as an attorney for the Navajo Nation and later entered private practice. Per Calvin Queal, “Morgan had a special feeling for the poor, the disadvantaged, the persecuted and abused. She scorned sham and pretension, and firmly believed in the causes of justice and fairness.” This Scholarship is provided by Calvin P. Queal.

Award depends on funds available.

ELIGIBILITY:
A. Must be a full-time Western Student;
B. Must demonstrate great financial need;
C. Must embody the spirit and values of Morgan L. Queal;
D. Preference will be given to those studying a field within the Liberal Arts, such as History, Political Science, Literature and Writing and Art.

Calvin P. Queal established the Morgan L. Queal Memorial Scholarship to benefit full-time Western students who embody the spirit and ethics of Morgan.

In 1964 Morgan became a staff writer with the The Denver Post, where she met and married Cal. The couple’s daughter, Duffy, a Down’s Syndrome child, was born in 1970. Shortly afterward, the couple’s love of skiing drew them to Crested Butte. They divorced in 1980, but remained close and continued to share custody of Duffy.

While in Crested Butte, Morgan served as Editor of the Crested Butte Chronicle, and later opened a yarn shop, where she taught knitting. She made her most lasting mark on the colorful resort town with the opening of her own Mountain Sign Shop, where visitors often found her covered with sawdust and wood shavings as she created distinctive redwood signs, many of which can still be seen around the town.

Morgan graduated from Western in 1987 at the age of 52. Pursuing a degree so late in life demonstrates a certain unconventionality, one of the many distinguishing characteristics of a strong, free-spirited person. “Throughout her life, Morgan scorned sham and pretension, championed the causes of justice, fairness and compassion, and insisted on ‘telling it like it is’,” explained Cal.

Morgan completed credits she began at University of Colorado and earned her Bachelor’s in English at Western. “Throughout her life, Morgan nourished a special feeling for the poor, the disadvantaged, the persecuted and abused. It came into sharp focus when she made the announcement to be a lawyer,” said Cal. She then graduated from law school at the University of Montana in 1989. She settled in Saguache, Colorado where she is fondly remembered by many clients for her “pro bono” services to those in need. Morgan passed away in August of 2010 after a long struggle against cancer and kidney failure.

“Friends and family will long remember her as a passionate participant in a rich and varied life, as a beloved friend and benefactor. Her successes as a professional was matched by a determination to live her private life to the fullest,” said Cal. “Recipients of this scholarship, especially, would do well to remember her example.” Cal passed away in January of 2014.