Margaret White O'Leary Scholarship

This scholarship is provided by Mrs. OLeary, Mrs. Hattie Steel and women’s clubs in Gunnison and Western Colorado. The fund had its beginnings in 1912 when the College was a Normal School to educate teachers.
This fund was originally started as a loan fund and had its beginnings in 1912 when the college was set up as a Normal School to educate teachers. Mrs. O’Leary had started the fund with a pledge of $20 yearly. This was given in memory of a daughter who deceased as a small child. Funding also came from Mrs. Hattie Steele along with three Women’s clubs of Gunnison as well as clubs in several towns of Western Colorado. The fund grew, loans were made to needy students and, as such, it continued for more than fifty years. At the deaths of Mrs. O’Leary and Mrs. Steele, the people who were still in debt to the fund were contacted to give a statement of their record of their loan and repayments. Forty years later, the fund received a check for $40. This woman had received money from the loan fund, was now married, been a teacher, and was now retiring. Her conscience wouldn’t let her retire in peace. The character of this fund has since been changed to that of a scholarship program in which outstanding students are honored.

ELIGIBILITY:
Students who have earned 45 credit hours at Western
2.5 cumulative GPA