William P. and Elizabeth McDow Lurton were born and raised in Dow, Illinois. Their ancestors, the Lurton and McDow families, were early settlers in Jersey County. Elizabeth completed two years at Jersey Township High School and Bill received an eighth grade education from the Dow School.
They were a hard working couple who struggled to raise and educate their family of seven, all graduates of Jersey Township (Jerseyville) High School. They were extremely dedicated to their children and to their community.
The William P. and Elizabeth McDow Lurton Scholarship Program has been established to honor their memory and to honor the graduates of Jerseyville High School.
The scholarship program is funded by the H. William Lurton Foundation whose benefactor is their son and a graduate of Jersey Township High School, Class of 1947. He is the former Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Jostens, Inc.
The Program
The H. William Lurton Foundation has established a scholarship program to assist high school seniors attending Jerseyville High School who plan to pursue postsecondary education in college and vocational programs. A scholarship is offered each year for full-time study at an accredited institution of the student’s choice.
The program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.
Applicants to the William P. and Elizabeth McDow Lurton Scholarship Program must be:
The authorized distribution for new awards is $10,000. Two awards of $5,000 will be granted as follows:
Awards are one time only (nonrenewable).
Awards are for undergraduate study only.
All applicants will be notified in May.
Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of H. William Lurton Foundation. Payment is made in August.
Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:
Financial need as calculated by Scholarship America must be demonstrated for the student to receive an award. Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship America. In no instance does any officer or employee of the H. William Lurton Foundation play a part in the selection. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.
As part of your application, you must upload the following:
NOTE: If you are providing SAT or ACT test scores, and those scores are not listed on your high school transcript, you will need to upload a copy of your test score report(s) separately. If you are uploading a college transcript, those scores are not required.
One online recommendation form must be submitted on your behalf no later than March 7, 2024 3:00 pm Central Time.
Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically.
