Clarence and Dorothy Gerard Scholarship for Nursing Grant

Clarence and Dorothy Gerard Scholarship for Nursing Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Community Foundation Alliance, Inc.
Amount: US $11,030
Last Updated: December 04, 2025

Summary

The Clarence and Dorothy Gerard Scholarship for Nursing, established by John Gerard, honors his parents and provides financial support for high school graduates from Posey, Vanderburgh, or Warrick counties pursuing nursing degrees at accredited institutions in Southwestern Indiana. The scholarship, amounting to $11,030, aims to continue Dorothy's legacy of care, ensuring future generations have the opportunity to enter the nursing profession. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to qualify.

Overview

Clarence and Dorothy Gerard Scholarship for Nursing Annual, renewable scholarship created by the estate of John Gerard in honor of his parents. The scholarship will provide educational support to a graduate of a Posey, Vanderburgh, or Warrick County high school to pursue a nursing degree at a college or university in Southwestern Indiana. Born in 1915, Dorothy Willett studied nursing and graduated in 1936 from St. Mary’s Hospital Nursing School where she became the first surgical nurse assisting in cataract surgery. Her career continued as a nurse for Republic Aviation factory in Evansville, Indiana, which churned out thousands of P-47 Thunderbolts during World War II. In 1947, she met and married Clarence Gerard who served in the Navy. Soon they began a family, welcoming sons Steve and John. As they came of age, Steve and John joined the family business, the Old Country School Restaurant, working together with their parents until its closing in 1987. Steve continued in restaurant management and John went on to work in the clerk and assessor’s offices until his retirement. After Clarence’s death in 1985, John lived and traveled with Dorothy, and they attended musical performances and the theater until her passing at age 97 in 2012. Later, John and his husband, Don Settle, enjoyed exploring historical sights and experiencing the arts up to Don’s death in 2017. John passed away in 2018. It was his greatest honor to memorialize his parents, Clarence and Dorothy Gerard, with a nursing scholarship endowment to continue his mother’s legacy of care for generations now and in the future. Award Amount $11,030 Application Access Code vcf

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Eligibility Criteria Graduating seniors of any high school located in Posey, Vanderburgh, or Warrick counties with a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale) and who are planning to pursue a nursing degree at an accredited college, university, or technical/vocational school within the counties served by the Community Foundation Alliance (Daviess, Gibson, Knox, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer Vanderburgh, and Warrick). Recipients of the scholarship must attend a college, university, or technical/vocational school located in one of these counties.