The University of Michigan Alumnae Council (UMAC) has over 30 endowed scholarships. Students interested in applying for UMAC scholarships should go to the University of Michigan Office of Financial Aid website. Choose “Step 4: Review Awarding Criteria and Apply for these Scholarships” and then “Scholarships requiring a separate application.” Next, scroll down to “Alumnae Council scholarships” and fill in the required information. For questions or more information, call the Office of Financial Aid Scholarship Unit at (734) 763-6600.
ALPHA XI DELTA
Established 2001 – Funded by the Alpha Xi Delta Fraternity, a women’s organization, to provide scholarships for undergraduate women.
The University of Michigan chapter of this undergraduate women’s social fraternity, established in 1920, was in continuous operation for over 80 years. The purpose of Alpha Xi Delta is to cultivate the ideals of personal development: scholarship, true friendship, and civic responsibility. To that end, its more than 1200 members established this scholarship foundation.
ALUMNAE COUNCIL CENTENNIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Established 2017 – Limited-time scholarship created in celebration of the Alumnae Council’s 100-year anniversary, recognizing its past and ongoing contributions to the University. The Centennial Scholarship Fund was the most recent award to be established. In 2020, its monies were repurposed back to the Council so that it could expand its outreach.
Scholarships were awarded to undergraduate and graduate women based on GPA (minimum 3.0), financial need, and participation in U-M community.
ALUMNAE COUNCIL MEMORIAL FUND
Honoring Alumnae Volunteers
Established 1992 – Gifts from Alumnae Council and Alumnae Clubs in honor of their members, for discretionary funds to aid women students who have unanticipated financial need. Office of Financial Aid counseling staff recommends students for grants when warranted.
BENSON, GERTRUDE C.
1916 AB, 1922 AM – A dedicated alumna
Established 1993 – Bequest of Ms. Benson for merit and need-based scholarships for graduate and undergraduate women students.
A native of Lansing, Michigan, Gertrude Benson returned there following graduation from the U-M to teach mathematics at Lansing Sexton High School where she became known as “a tough teacher.” As a leader in her local alumnae club, Ms. Benson’s greatest interest was in raising scholarship funds to support area students attending her alma mater.
BLETCHER, EDITH M. KEILEY
Staff – made a career of passing a gift along
Established 2002 – Funded by the U-M Alumnae Council to provide merit and need-based scholarships for undergraduate students, with preference for Benzie and Hillsdale (MI) county residents.
A friend’s gift of $100 when Edith (Edi) Bletcher set off for college turned into a life dedicated to providing assistance to U-M students seeking financial help – and a friendly ear – during her 38-year U-M career (1964-2002). As Director of Student-Alumni Services, Ms. Bletcher administered alumnae/alumni scholarships and University merit awards and developed nine new endowments for the Council. While with the Office of Financial Aid, she worked to make scholarship information more accessible for students and played a key role in shaping the Shipman Society and Scholarship program.
BUZBY, ETHEL M.
1915 AB
Established 1975 – Bequest of Ms. Buzby, to assist out-of-state undergraduate women, with preference for residents of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Imagine a young girl coming to Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1911 from Woodstown, New Jersey. Ethel Buzby cherished her years at the University of Michigan, where she played on the Women’s basketball team and acted in several productions of the University’s Comedy Club.
COLLEGIATE SOROSIS
Established 2002 – Funded by the Collegiate Sorosis Foundation for merit and need-based undergraduate scholarships for women (& male legacies).
Collegiate Sorosis was established as a local sorority in 1886, to promote friendship and encouragement among women of literary, artistic, and scientific pursuits. The only chapter was to be at the University of Michigan, and it remained a local sorority until it was closed in 1991. Distinguished members include Sarah Caswell Angell, Margaret Knowlton Bursley, and Alice Crocker Lloyd, among many others.
CONGER, JULIA HENNING
1918 AB – Grand Rapids Alumnae Club named in her honor
Established 1963 – Bequest of Ms. Conger and memorial gifts from family and friends to provide undergraduate scholarships for young women from the Grand Rapids (MI) area. (Recipients are selected by the Grand Rapids Federation of U-M Alumnae Clubs)
While following the more typical pursuits of women of her time–those of wife and mother–Julia Conger was also an energetic leader of her U-M alumnae club, later named in her honor. All four of the Congers’ sons earned degrees from the University of Michigan and became generous and loyal supporters of the University.
CONGER, LUCILE BAILEY
1904 AB – Lived in Tsarist Russia from 1910 to 1912
Established 1961 – Alumnae Council Birthday Greeting Campaign Memorial Gifts to provide scholarships for graduate studies at U-M for women with University of Michigan undergraduate degrees.
After their experience living in Tsarist Russia, Lucile Conger and her husband, an Associated Press correspondent, were assigned to Berlin for ten years. They returned to Michigan where Ms. Conger became active in the local alumnae club. From 1932 to 1947 she was employed as Alumnae Secretary and fostered much growth in alumnae activities and support for scholarships. She also led the alumnae in starting Henderson House, a cooperative for women on Hill Street.
CONGER, PAULINE M.
Conger Family Memorial
Established 1992 – Gift of R. Gilbert Conger for merit and need-based undergraduate scholarships.
Pauline Mansfield married into the University of Michigan family. Her husband, Gil Conger, is one of four sons of Julia H. and Ralph G. Conger, all of whom are Michigan graduates with multiple degrees. Ms. Mansfield earned her B.S. in 1945 from the State University of Iowa.
DAVIS, GLADYS E.
1931 AB, 1933 AM – Thumb Area farm girl to world traveler
Established 1994 – Bequest of Ms. Davis, for undergraduate women residents of the state of Michigan.
Gladys Davis grew up attending a one-room school. Her simple farm background during the Great Depression and her academic success contributed to give her the character traits for which she would be remembered: scholarship and a very frugal lifestyle. Her one extravagance, world travel, was tied to her upbringing as she toured Europe and Asia with farm groups, learning about the agrarian-related aspects of the lands she visited. Graduating Phi Beta Kappa from U-M in 1931, Ms. Davis earned her AM two years later. Ms. Davis taught at Hazel Park High School for 40 years, leaving only when “it wasn’t fun anymore.”
DEMALINE, SUE VOGT
Staff – Versatile, quick-witted, exceptional colleague, and friend
Established 1993 – Bequest of Ms. Demaline to provide undergraduate scholarships for working women, especially full-time U-M staff members.
Sue Demaline interrupted her U-M education to begin a 39-year career as Assistant Editor of Michigan Alumnus magazine. Ms. Demaline was never able to return to her studies, but has generously provided that opportunity for others: her will endowed a scholarship to assist working women to attain their U-M undergraduate degrees.
ELLIOT, LUCY E.
1903 AB, 1920 AM – A forceful leader in the field of progressive education
Established 1931 – Memorial gifts to provide scholarships for graduate studies at U-M or elsewhere, for women with University of Michigan undergraduate degrees.
Lucy Elliott combined a love of scholarship with great common sense. The Phi Beta Kappa 1903 U-M graduate would become the first woman principal of a Detroit intermediate school (Sharrad) and would also hold several other posts in Detroit and at the U-M with distinction. Following Ms. Elliott’s untimely death resulting from an automobile accident in 1930, there was an outpouring of tributes to fund a cherished interest of hers: to help needy, self-supporting women at the University of Michigan.
EMANUEL, JULIA
1889 PhC, 1951 MS (Hon) – The only woman to graduate from the School of Pharmacy in the Class of 1889
Established 1965 – Bequest of Ms. Emanuel, for graduate scholarships for women who lived in Henderson House their junior and senior years at U-M.
Ms. Emanuel’s career was influenced by her father, a doctor who rode through rural Ohio on horseback to visit his patients, and by her mother who, after his death in 1876, took over his pills and medicines and opened a pharmacy to support her family. Julia Emanuel owned and operated Emanuel Drug Store in Fort Wayne, Indiana from the 1890s until 1942.
ENGLAND, H. CATHERINE
1935 AB – A True Blue Alumna
Established 1976 – Bequest of Ms. England, to provide scholarships for Jackson County (MI) women to enable them to attend the University of Michigan.
A member of the Alumnae Council Scholarship Selections Committee for many years, Catherine England sought applicants with high-performance standards. She had a keen business sense and was interested in the political and social changes of the 1950s and 1960s, urging young women to take advantage of these changes by exploring new fields and careers.
FAIRMAN, M. LOUISE
1896 AB – A founding member of the U-M Alumnae Club of Chicago
Established 1918 – Funded through a campaign of the Chicago Alumnae (renamed in honor of Fairman in 1949) to provide undergraduate and graduate scholarships for Chicago (IL) area women at U-M.
Louise Fairman was a valued alumna with wide interests. As a founding member of the U-M Alumnae Club of Chicago, she was devoted to helping students needing aid and encouragement. She gave generously of her time and support to raise funds for this endowment.
GAY, LORAINE
1929 AB, 1950 AM – Known by her colleagues as “a true professional”
Established 1974 – Bequest of Ms. Gay, to provide scholarships for in-state undergraduates with preference for Saginaw-area (MI) students.
Loraine Gay was a teacher of mathematics, Director of Counseling, and Dean of Students at South High School in Saginaw, Michigan. As an educator, she inspired her students to excel in their studies and in their personal lives. Ms. Gay served the alumnae of the U-M through the local Saginaw Club, raising funds for its scholarship program, and on the national Alumnae Council Board.
HARTWIG, MARIE D.
1929 AB, 1932 BS, 1938 MS – U-M Athletic Department Hall of Honor’s first woman inductee
Established 1982 – Alumnae Council Birthday Greeting Campaign, to provide scholarships for varsity women athletes. (Administered by the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics since 2002)
Marie “Pete” Hartwig’s U-M career spanned from 1930 to 1976. Her love of athletics helped her advance intramural sports for women on the U-M campus and culminated in her being appointed U-M’s first associate director for women’s athletics. Prof. Hartwig’s interests and accomplishments were many and varied. She served as director of counselor education for the National Music Camp at Interlochen (MI) for many years and was a talented musician, an avid sportswoman, and a dedicated educator.
HINSDALE , MARY LOUISA
1890 AM, 1912 Ph.D. – A distinguished mind, a warm heart, and flashing humor
Established 1946 – Gifts from the Mary Markley Board, friends, and former students, for undergraduate scholarships for self-supporting, single women.
Dr. Hinsdale frequently attended League of Nations meetings in Switzerland, and she traveled to Poland in 1937 to participate in the first meeting of the International Association of University Women. As a member of the American Educational Commission, she was invited by the Russian Minister of Education to inspect Russian schools. Her interest in governmental affairs and in world history was a living thing and was passed on as such to her pupils.
HOST, MARGARET AYERS
1938 AB, 1940 AM – She adopted the world
Established 1983 – Alumnae Council Birthday Greeting Campaign and family gifts, for women graduate students (Administered by Rackham School of Graduate Studies since 1996)
Margaret Host joined the Red Cross during World War II and left the U.S. to serve as director of Red Cross chapters in France, Austria, Germany, and England. Her many other roles include those of teacher, business partner, and fundraiser. Ms. Host was a driving force in raising the funds to build the Alumni Center, dedicated in the fall of 1982. She holds the distinction of being the first woman elected President of the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan, whereupon her son proclaimed her the best “man” for the job.
LAWLER, ABIGAIL MARIE SHAW
Family Memorial
Established 1993 – Bequest of her son, James M. Lawler, 1950 AB, 1957 AM, as a memorial to his mother and dedicated to assisting needy and deserving students, with preference for women from Michigan and Ontario, Canada.
Abigail Shaw was born into poverty in Amherstburg, Ontario in 1897. The eldest of seven children, she became surrogate mother to her siblings when her own mother died in 1915. At 18 years of age, Ms. Shaw became a source of love and strength to her family and all who knew her.
LLOYD, ALICE CROCKER
1916 AB – Appointed Dean of Women in 1930
Established 1936 – Gifts from Alumnae and friends of Dean Lloyd, for women graduate students.
Following graduation from the U-M, Alice Lloyd moved to New York where she trained as a nurse. Upon her return to Michigan, she served several years as a probation officer in Detroit. This background, and her deep interest in U-M, led Ms. Lloyd to accept a position at the university in the Advisors of Women Office. As Dean, Alice Lloyd was for many years the senior woman on administrative councils of the University of Michigan. She successfully undertook a major campus expansion to build three new women’s residence halls during World War II, a time of great increase in women seeking admission to the University.
MCCRERY FUND
Family Tribute – We can still feel our great-aunts peering over our shoulders and commenting on our report cards
Established 1976 – Gifts from Elizabeth A. Kaufman, 1964 MSW, 1989 Ph.D., and her three sisters; granddaughters of Annie Jane McCrery Williams, for merit and need-based scholarships for women students.
The McCrery Fund honors the ten daughters of William Hemphill McCrery and Arabella Bonner McCrery, born in rural Texas between 1869 and 1886. When their father died in 1893, their mother moved them to Corsicana, Texas. In that small town, the McCrery sisters became leading lights in the literary, musical, and church organizations of the time. Six of the ten sisters spent their adult lives as teachers. With each other’s help, they amassed degrees and certificates and contributed enormously to the various communities where they taught.
MURFIN, DAISY CHAPIN
1949 Honorary Alumna
Established 1955 – Family memorial gifts and contributions from the Alumnae Council, for merit and need-based scholarships for Henderson House residents.
The wife of a U-M Regent, Daisy Murfin was keenly aware of the financial problems faced by self-supporting women students. She was actively involved in helping students financially and with encouraging them throughout their University careers.
MYERS, ALISON TENNANT
1941 AB / Staff – A vibrant personality, outstanding leader, and generous to all in need
Established 1972 – Alumnae Council Birthday Greeting Campaign, for merit and need-based scholarships for disadvantaged women students.
Alison Myers served as Director of Alumnae Activities for 15 years and as Assistant Director of the Alumni Association for an additional seven (1956-1978). Among her many accomplishments, Ms. Myers expanded the mission of the Alumnae Council to include all women graduates; successfully promoted the growth of the alumnae scholarship programs through Birthday Greeting campaigns; and fostered the Student Governors Program that connected students, faculty, and alumni with the changing face of the campus.
SANDERS, CLAIRE M.
1904 AB – Pioneer in guidance services for youth and adults
Established in 1955 – Memorial gifts for merit and need-based scholarships for Henderson House residents.
In 1917, Claire Sanders was elected the first Chairman of the Alumnae Council. As an alumna volunteer, she helped raise $1 million for the construction of the Michigan League and headed a national campaign for the purchase, remodeling, and furnishing of the first cooperative residence for women on the U-M campus. Professionally, she distinguished herself as Chief Probation Officer of the Detroit (MI) Juvenile Court, among many other accomplishments. A Detroit elementary school was named in Ms. Sander’s honor in 1965.
SEELEY, LAUREL HARPER
1928-29 Architecture – Activist in furthering the interest of women students
Established 1948 – Bequest of Laurel Seeley for merit and need-based scholarships for women.
Laurel Harper left the U-M to continue her study of architecture at the Chicago Institute of Art. She served as director of the Art Department at Washington State Normal for two years. Following her marriage, Ms. Harper returned to Ann Arbor and became an effective advocate for Adelia Cheever House as a board member.
SMITH, SARA BROWNE
1897 AB – Immigrated from Ireland at the age of 14; first to Iron Mountain (MI) and then to Ann Arbor
Established 1979 – Gifts from the Sara Brown Smith-Ann Arbor Alumnae Club, and a bequest of a founding member, for merit and need-based scholarships for women. (Recipients selected by the Alumnae Council since 1997.)
Sara Smith served as president of the women’s league in her senior year at U-M. From 1925-28 she was chair of the Alumnae Council and a moving force of the campaign to build the Michigan League Building. The Alumnae Council honored Ms. Smith with a Service Citation in 1954 and in 1957 she received the Distinguished Service Award from the Alumni Association. Sara’s half-brother, Charles Mills Gayley (1878 AB), was a professor of English and author of Michigan’s alma mater “The Yellow and the Blue.”
VAN DEN BOSCH, ELIZABETH
1971 AM, 1971-86 Staff – A fresh-as-rain sense of humor and creative leader
Established 1986 – Alumnae Council Birthday Greeting Campaign and retirement tributes, for merit and need-based scholarships for out-of-state, undergraduate women.
Under Betty Van Den Bosch’s leadership, the Alumnae Council stressed new and equal opportunities for women. These included such innovative programs as the Athena Award honoring distinguished U-M alumnae, the Alumna-in-Residence Program that brings alumnae back to campus to counsel students, Administrative Internships for Women (paid internships with U-M executives), and the Hartwig Scholarship for Varsity Women Athletes.
WELKER, BERTHA
Staff – To generations of U-M students, Bert was the Michigan Union
Established 1965 – Gift from an alumnus, for merit and need-based scholarships for women.
Fresh out of high school, Bertha (Bert) Welker applied for a staff position with the Michigan Union, which was under construction at the time. She stayed on for nearly 50 years—from 1917 to 1966—as secretary to the first four general managers. Her post required that she make arrangements for visiting notables – among them John Phillip Sousa and then-presidential candidate, Senator John F. Kennedy. Ms. Welker was standing on the steps of the Union that night in October of 1960 when JFK first announced the idea of a Peace Corps.
WOODLOCK, VIETA VOGHT
1924 AB – Excellence and generosity of spirit
Established 1972 – Bequest of Ms. Woodlock for merit and need-based scholarships for women with a preference for those majoring in language, literature, and arts.
Vieta Woodlock held the conviction that an education at the University of Michigan placed an individual forever in its debt. She repaid her alma mater by becoming a much-admired language teacher and counselor, volunteering her time generously on alumnae activities, and ultimately contributing this very generous gift for scholarships.
ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIPS ADMINISTERED BY THE ALUMNAE COUNCIL SELECTIONS COMMITTEE
FORMAN, ROBERT G.
’59 MPA/Staff – Committed to the egalitarian ideals of public education
Established 1994 – Alumnae Council Birthday Greeting campaign, Gifts from U-M Clubs, Alumni Association Board of Directors, staff, family, and friends upon his retirement in 1994, to provide scholarships for undergraduate students.
Throughout his 30-year career (1964-1994) as executive director of the Alumni Association, Bob Forman advocated what he saw as “the great vision of this University to make available a quality education within the means of all of those qualified for admission.” With rising costs making it increasingly difficult for U-M to continue this vision, this fund was established to enlist the volunteer resources of alumni in raising funds to assist in providing student financial aid for undergraduates.
WALTZ, STANLEY G.
Staff and Honorary Alumnus
Established 1974 – Bequest of Mr. Waltz to provide scholarships for undergraduates.
Stanley Waltz was the third General Manager of the Michigan Union, serving from 1933 to 1941. The Union debt was retired during his tenure, allowing the organization to borrow the necessary funds to build the south addition, completed in 1936, that houses the Kuenzel and Welker meeting rooms.