Misher family offers J-M scholarship
A scholarship for Jefferson-Morgan students has been created through a gift from the late George L. Misher, who was a teacher and principal in the school district for 40 years.
The George L. Misher and Anne Misher Scholarship Fund is being established through The Community Foundation of Greene County with a bequest of $100,000 from George Misher, who died in the summer of 2014 at 98.
CFGC Executive Director Bettie Stammerjohn knew Misher for a couple of years and said he was a delightful person.
“He was a wonderful gentleman with a quick wit. He really valued education as a way to succeed, (and) not just for the students who have the best grades or for whom learning comes easy,” Stammerjohn said. “He also wanted to challenge and help the average students to expand their education beyond high school.”
Misher was a 1936 graduate of Jefferson High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from California State College and his master’s degree from University of Pittsburgh. He also did post-graduate work at University of Wyoming, Kansas State, Northern Illinois and Yale universities.
The two-year scholarship will be presented annually to a graduating senior of Jefferson-Morgan School District who is planning to pursue a post-secondary degree from an accredited college or university, trade school or technical school.
The first scholarship will be awarded in 2017, which gives the donation time to be invested in the permanent endowment and for the income used for the scholarship to grow without using the principal of the gift, Stammerjohn said.
The scholarship amount will be determined and announced each year.
“Mr. Misher had the foresight to set aside the funds for this scholarship as a lasting bequest through his will, knowing that the scholarship will be around to help students long beyond his lifetime,” Stammerjohn added. “It is this legacy that means so much – giving back to the community where he lived and loved.”
Misher served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II and was an airplane mechanic and crew chief in the Army Air Transport Command. He was a charter member of the Filer-Sadlek American Legion Post 954 in Jefferson, and served as the post’s chaplain for many years. He was also a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars in Carmichaels and Amvets of Uniontown.
For more information about the George L. Misher and Anne Misher Scholarship, contact the CFGC office by phone at 724-627-2010, email at cfgcpa@gmail.com or visit the foundation’s website www.cfgcpa.org.