Samsung American Legion Scholarship
The Samsung Corporation in conjunction with the American Legion founded a scholarship program back in 1966. Samsung wished to, in some way, acknowledge the efforts of the Korean War veterans in helping their home country. This scholarship started with a $5 million dollar endowment from Samsung. Each year since then over $300,000 has been awarded annually to deserving male and female students. The applicants are selected from among the participants of the Legion’s Boys’ State and Girls’ State programs. The scholarship award is directly for undergraduate school/college tuition, room and board, and books.
Applications are available online at the American Legion National website: Applicants who are direct descendants of Korean War veterans receive special consideration. The successful recipients are recognized at special ceremonies in Washington, D.C. and given a tour of the Washington monument sites as well as the Arlington Cemetery.
An executive committee is being set up this year to continue the awarding process made up of previous scholarship alumni as well as Legion, Auxiliary, and Sons representatives. This committee will oversee the scholarship awards, recognitions, and future development of this great scholarship opportunity. The scholarship is currently handled by national American Legion staff, the assistant director of alumni affairs. As SAL Americanism Commission Chairman, Greg “Doc” Gibbs will be serving on that national executive Samsung Scholarship Committee for 2016.
The group met the second week of June in Washington, DC and presented the awards to a group of 10 deserving young men and women from across the US. Samsung executives were present along with serval American Legion staffers and National Legion Vice Commander Jimmy Lane (AR), National Auxiliary Education Chairman Susan Britton (NY), and Natl SAL Americanism Chairman Doc Gibbs as the students toured Washington, DC and accepted their awards at a breakfast in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Several Senators were present and they gave their congratulations as well. Honorees included: Calvin Isch (IN), Devon Kurtz (MA), Curtis Leonard (SC), Isaac Logeman (MN), Kaden McArthur (UT), Michael McFarland (CA), Grant Moles (NE), Katherine Mossburg (WV), Meghan Slattery (NY), and Nicholas Van Slooten (AR). Each of these students has an impressive array of community service, very high academics, and was directly related to a Korean War veteran.
Bill Welker from Samsung Corporation along with Casey Choi presented the group with their scholarships as well as a new computer-tablet from Samsung as the breakfast. Samsung executive Casey Choi is also a Legionnaire from Post 50 in Pelham, NY. It was a great three days touring the DC memorials and Arlington with some of the most talented young people in our country. Through this large scholarship the Legion Family has truly impacted the lives of these young men and women as well as their families; helping to make their dreams come true as the work to, no doubt, create a better, future America.
Gregg “Doc” Gibbs
Samsung Scholarships in Washington DC. Pic of Samsung executives Bill & Casey long with Doc and Sue Britton from Nat’l Auxiliary and NY recipient Meghan Slattery from Bayport. Top notch students from across the country! Each one received $20,000 award plus three day tour of DC and Samsung goodies! Here we are breakfast in Senate office building. Doc